Ride-Share
by thisisbrittana
Summary: Brittany doesn't want to drive to LA alone, so she resorts to Craig's List to find someone to keep her company. Changed to M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After doing a couple one-shots, I thought I'd try my hand at a multi-chapter fic. So let me know what you think!**

"Rach! Did you want to take these wine glasses with you?"

"Britt, I don't think I'll be hosting any wine parties in my first week after moving to LA. And putting glasses in my carry-on would be asking for it."

Brittany sets the glass back into the cupboard and turns around to face her roommate.

"Fine, maybe I'll throw a huge party celebrating you finally getting out of my hair."

"Har, har, Britt. You know you're going to miss me so much. Hence why you just couldn't wait to join me in sunny SoCal."

"Well, someone has to drive all of your stuff out to you. And you know I'm the only one sweet enough to do it." As Brittany continues to sort out which utensils and kitchen gadgets belong to when there is a knock on the door. "Come in!"

"Shhhh! Brittany, what did I tell you about that? You don't know who that could be! It could be a serial killer!"

"It's just Quinn. She said she was stopping over to say goodbye," Britt replies.

The door swings open as Quinn enters carrying 2 boxes of pizza and a case of Sam Adams.

"Oh. But still…if we're going to continue living together in Los Angeles, a new city for both of us, at least keep the door locked."

"Hey Quinn!" Britt walks through the kitchen and grabs the boxes from her friend's hand. "Lighten up, Rach. Or don't. Maybe you're neurosis will help you land a role in the next Wes Craven film."

"So girls, this is it," says Quinn. "One last night for us three to get shitfaced in NYC!"

"This pizza isn't vegan is it? It doesn't look vegan. I can only-"

"Don't blow a gasket, Rachel. I got from the place you mentioned the last time I attempted an impromptu pizza party."

Brittany gets out some paper plates and a bottle opener, and the three sit down in the empty living room surrounded by cardboard boxes.

"I'm really going to miss this place," says Brittany wistfully.

"I, for one, am not. I am through with struggling to land a starring role on Broadway. They obviously cannot appreciate my talents. A fresh start in LA is just what I need."

"I know, Rach. I just meant this apartment. Sure, it was the price of a small country, but we had a lot of fun here.

"So when do you leave, Britt?" aks Quinn as she downs her first beer.

"I just need to finish packing the rest of our stuff up, and then I've got two more days of work at the bar. So I should be heading out Monday morning. I'm just worried about driving all that way alone."

"How about one of those ride-shares?" Rachel responds.

"A ride-what now?"

"You know, on Craig's List? You just say where you plan on driving to, and other people who want to go to the same place can respond to you. That way you can split gas money and share each other's company."

"You mean you're not giving me gas money, Rachel? Money to haul all of your trophies, Playbills, posters, stacks of gold star stickers…"

"Yes, of course, Britt. I just meant to split your half."

"I would give it a shot, Britt. Who knows, maybe you can find someone cute to be in a car with for a week straight."

Brittany's face reddens with embarrassment. "I'm not looking for a new boyfriend."

"It's been what? A year, Britt? Just keep an open mind about it."

"But what if this potential person is a serial-killer, Rach?"

"Is that sarcasm I detect? Regardless, I can have my dad run an extensive background check to ensure your complete safety."

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. But first, ladies, we need to start off our New York Farewell extravaganza right." Britt raises her bottle as the others follow. "To NYC, you kicked our asses every day. I can't wait to leave your urine filled streets and crowded subway stations filled with homeless people who want to eat my hair, but I will miss you. To New York!"

"New York!" Chime in Rachel and Quinn.

Two hours later, the pizza boxes are empty and beer bottles litter the coffee table. Rachel is twirling in the corner by the window, humming to herself. Quinn is sitting on the floor against the wall, with Britt's head in her lap.

"I'm really going to miss you guys," Quinn says as she is on the verge of drunken tears. "I wish I could go with you, but I can't!"

Britt reaches her hand up to pat Quinn on the head. "It's okay, Quinnie, we know. Puck is a good guy and he'll be super famous one day and you'll get married and have babies and it'll be awesome."

Rachel stops twirling long enough to pipe in, "Totally, Quinn. I'm jealous of what you two have. It's beautiful. Maybe Britt and I can find two hot guys in LA. Two hot actor guys! Not too successful that they wouldn't give us the time of day though. But just on the verge of stardom! And then we can double date and be double famous and double wedding and double families and double awesome!"

Brittany sits up from Quinn's lap and feels uneasy at Rachel's mention of finding guys to date. It had been almost a year since her last relationship with a guy. It was when she starting coming to terms with the fact that maybe she wasn't as straight as she thought. Her boyfriend's advances had become more and more annoying. She thought maybe it was just that they weren't a good fit, but at the same time she started noticing women more. She shoved those thoughts deep into her mind and tried to forget them. After breaking up with Chad, she put all her time and effort into dance. Eventually she became a teacher at her dance studio, which then led to a job offer in Los Angeles as a choreographer for a production company specializing in music videos.

"You okay, Britt?"

"Huh? Yea, what?" she stands up and starts cleaning up the living room.

"You just looked bothered. Are you sad too?" drunk Quinn replies.

Britt puts on a smile, "Yea, I'm just going to miss you too, Quinn." She pulls her to her feet and gives her a hug. "I think I'm going to head to bed. You can crash here if you want. Although there's not much to sleep on." She looks around the empty room. "How about a couple unfolded cardboard boxes? They seem to work for Larry around the corner."

"You can take the mattress on the floor in my room, Quinn."

"Sweet, thanks. Goodnight, Britt. Don't be sad!"

Britt starts getting ready for bed. In her room sits a lonely double mattress, her laptop, and clothes strewn about the floor. As she slips on a pair of boy shorts and a pink tank top, she looks over to her computer. She pulls up Craig's List and looks to see if anybody has already put up a listing for NYC to LA. "New York to Miami….New York to Cleveland….Cleveland to Lima…..hmm nothing. Okay then, here goes. 'Looking for someone to share my car with me across country. NYC to LA, leaving Monday morning. Must split gas, pay for own hotel room when we make stops. Oh and must not be a serial killer. Call me at 212-555-4367.' That sounds good. Send."

She shuts her laptop, plugs her phone into the charger, and heads to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Two minutes and good flossing later, Brittany opens the door to her bedroom and hears her phone ringing. Swiping the screen, she answers. "Hello?"

"Is this the NY to LA ride-share person?"

"That was fast, and yes! My name is Brittany. You're not a serial killer, right?"

The person on the other line laughs. "No, I'm not."

"You've got a nice laugh and a nice voice."

"Thank you, Brittany. So Monday morning huh?"

"Yea, I was thinking around 9am? And I plan on stopping only a couple times along the way, so we would take turns driving at night."

"That's cool with me. I don't have much money anyways, so I couldn't afford to stop at a motel every night."

"How much stuff will you be bringing with you? I don't have much room in my rental SUV, and the U-Haul trailer will be full."

"Oh, I just have a backpack and a guitar."

"That's all? What are you heading to LA for?"

"I'm moving out there."

"With just a backpack?"

"Yea, well, I don't have many belongings and I like to travel light anyways. So what do you say, Brittany?"

"I think you sound nice and I trust that you're not a serial killer."

"Haha, that's good to hear. So I'll call you Sunday night, and we can plan where to meet."

"Perfect. Oh, I didn't catch your name!"

"It's Santana."

"Well, I look forward to sharing a ride with you, Santana. Goodnight!"

"Night, Britt."

Smiling to herself she puts the new contact into her phone, deletes her post on Craig's List, and lies face down on her floor; regretting having taken her bed apart ahead of time.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I plan on writing longer chapters in the future, but I just wanted to get the story going. Thanks for reading!**

"The cab's downstairs waiting so hurry it up, Rach!"

Rachel peeks her head out from her bedroom. "Okay, okay, okay! I'm just checking if I packed my sheet music."

"Yup. We went over your packing list like five times already. It's all here, and if it's not I think you can survive without it for a week."

"Alright, let's go." Picking up her carry-ons while Brittany grabs her suitcases the two head out of the apartment and down the stairwell.

"So, what time are you leaving tomorrow, Britt?"

"I'm not sure yet, I'm waiting for that girl to call."

"Ah, yes, what was her name again?"

"Santana," Brittany replies trying to hide a smile from forming on her face. She can't help the pink that flushes her cheeks.

"What's with the look?"

Brittany nearly stumbles over Rachel's monster suitcase. "What look? That's just my face."

"You're all flustered."

"Am not. I'm just struggling to carry your two suitcases down these six flights of stairs. You're welcome."

"No, that's not it. You had a little smirk to your face that only appears when you're a combination of excited and embarrassed."

"Just drop it, Rach."

"Fine, I'm only dropping it because I'm already seven minutes behind schedule."

Once outside the apartment the cab driver loads the trunk with Rachel's belongings. Shielding her eyes from the sun, Brittany turns to Rachel.

"So, you ready to say goodbye to life as a New Yorker? It's your last chance to back out."

"I really am going to miss bagels."

"There's always Lenders."

"Don't even mention the L word" Rachel shudders.

"What L word? Lesbian? What does that have to do with anything!?"

Rachel laughs, "No, Britt. I was referring to—never mind. You're being extra weird today. Get some sleep tonight. You've got a long road ahead of you."

"Have a safe flight, and call me when you get to our new apartment. I can't wait to see it."

Rachel gets into the cab and shuts the door. "Bye, Britt. See you in sunny California!" Brittany watches as the cab pulls out into traffic and gives her roommate one last wave as she turns back toward her soon to be ex-apartment building.

She's not sure why she got so flustered at the mere mention of Santana's name. She doesn't know the girl at all. Sure, she knows she has got a sweet-sounding voice, and she is also moving to Los Angeles. Other than that, the girl could be a complete nightmare; a Freddy Krueger- level nightmare from the seventh circle of hell with whom she has to spend almost an entire week in the car, sitting one foot away. But it has been a year. A year that she has been spending in a complete misery, wanting to stop noticing girls and thinking about what it would be like to hold their hand, brush her hand across their cheek, or to kiss their soft lips. She wants to stop not wanting it. Brittany starts to think that maybe a new city will be her chance for a fresh start. Maybe this road trip can be her chance to start testing the waters.

"Please don't be a nightmare." Brittany reaches the sixth floor with a huff and prepares for a night of packing and waiting for Santana to call.

Later that night, Brittany sits with her back against the wall of her bedroom and her phone in hand. She tilts her head back and looks up at the ceiling.

"Goodbye, ceiling. I'm sorry that I put a crack in you that one time I thought it was smart to try out golfing for the first time indoors. Goodbye, window. I love you even though you have a gap that lets cold air in during the winter. I know it's not your fault, just some carpenter's. Goodbye, closet door. I'm not going to miss that sound you make when you open. You sound like a dying dolphin."

*Beep-Beep*

Brittany looks down at her phone lighting up.

"Hi Santana!"

"Hey, Britt. I didn't catch you at a bad time did I?"

"No, no. I'm just sitting here talking to my room."

"Talking to your...okay. So we need to pick a place to meet."

"Right! I can pick you up at your place at 9am?"

"Well, I kind of don't have a place right now. How about I just meet outside your building?"

"Wait, then where are you staying tonight if you don't have a place?"

"Don't worry about it. Just text me your address, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Hold on, Santana…San?" Britt pulls her phone from her ear to see that the call had ended. Her brow furrows in confusion over the girl on the other end. "She must be staying at a friend's place tonight then." She stands up to take her sweatshirt off and tie her hair back. Walking to her bathroom, Brittany wonders what Santana looks like; whether her hair is a light brown or if her eyes are green. If she will be a couple inches taller than herself. "Not likely," she shakes her head. She wonders what she will smell like, what she will feel like, taste like… Brittany surprises herself with these thoughts. She starts to lather her hands with face wash. "She's probably the straightest of straight girls. Don't get your hopes up, Brittany. Just play it cool." Looking at herself in the mirror, face now covered with the soap, "You're a nice person. People like you. At least maybe she might want to be your friend in LA. You could use someone else to balance out Rachel." She rinses off her face and heads to bed for the last time in New York.

The next morning, bright and early, Brittany loads her last box into the U-haul. She nervously checks her phone to see the time. 8:54. "Ugh, six more minutes." She leans against the trailer while wiping the sweat from her brow with the bottom of her shirt.

"Nice abs."

Brittany turns toward the voice, that familiar voice. It belongs to a girl with dark brown hair just past her shoulders. Her eyes are the same shade of brown, so dark you can't see her pupils. She is carrying a black guitar case and a tan rucksack. Brittany finally smooths her shirt down over her stomach.

"You're, um. You're.."

"Santana Lopez." She drops the case and puts out her right hand to Brittany. "It's really nice to meet you, Britt."

Brittany wipes her hand on her shorts and shakes the girl's hand. "Hi."

"A woman of many words I see. So you got room for my baby in there?"

"You have a baby?! I can't bring a baby on this trip! We've got no car seat or diapers or strained peas or –"

"I meant my guitar." Pointing to her case on the ground, Santana smiles at the blonde. "You're a strange one. I think we're going to have fun on this trip." She takes the liberty of finding a place for her belongings and heads toward the back passenger door. She stretches to slide her guitar case across the backseat of the SUV revealing a sliver of caramel skin. Santana turns around to find Brittany blatantly staring. "Gonna catch flies, Britt. C'mon, the road's waiting."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's part three, folks. Any input is appreciated, thanks for reading!**

The sun sits low in the sky, shining directly into the left side of Brittany's face. She squints her left eye and with her right attempts to sneak a glance at the girl riding shotgun. Santana sits with her head against the passenger window and her left foot on the dash. They pass a sign that reads "Rest Stop – 5 miles."

Brittany clears her throat, "Do you need to make a stop? Bathroom? Coffee?"

"No, I'm fine for now. But we can stop if you need to."

"I'm fine too."

"Yea you are."

Brittany whips her head to the right. "What?"

"Nothing. So! You're moving to LA to be a dancer, your roommate's name is Rachel, aaaaaand that's about all I know about you. I want to know more." Santana shifts her body so that she is facing Brittany with her back against the door.

"Correction, that's choreographer. What else do you want to know?"

"I don't know. What do you do for fun? How many siblings do you have? Got a special someone?"

"Is this a lightning round? What do I win if I guess them all right?" Brittany smiles over to Santana, who looks around her seat.

"Hmm, let me take a look in the prize bag. We've got a peanut butter granola bar, a map of the northeastern United States, and here's the grand prize…..Swedish Fish! So, Brittany, your time starts NOW. "

"I like watching scary movies, I have one younger sister, and no I don't have a boyfriend. Did I win?"

"2 outta three."

"Why? They're all facts. They can't be wrong. I want my candy!"

"Nope sorry, I just don't agree with one of your answers. I think I'll keep the Swedish Fish for myself thanks."

"C'mon." Britt nudges her shoulder. "At least tell me which one I got wrong," Brittany says while rolling her eyes.

Sheepishly Santana replies, "I don't like scary movies."

"No way!" Brittany laughs. "You seem like such a tough girl. I never would have guessed."

"I guess I am full of surprises then." Santana sits back forward.

"Yea, you know you never told me why you're moving to California."

Santana takes a sip of water before looking to Brittany. "To be completely honest, I'm not really sure."

"How so?"

"It's not that I don't have a plan for when I get there, but I don't know the reason why. You could kind of say that it wasn't my call."

Brittany is puzzled at the girl's answer. How could someone just up and move across the country without a clear and distinct purpose? She wonders if she could have ever done the same.

"So what _is _your plan?"

"I've got it all worked out. I'm going to play some open mics, hopefully get some paying gigs from that, and then who knows. You could be sitting in a car with the next great singing sensation." She leans towards Brittany with a cocky grin. "You want my autograph?"

"Sure, you never know. I might be hard up for money someday, and could sell it on eBay."

"Oh, hell no." Santana starts to rifle through her bag that sits on the floor by her feet. "No one sells an authentic Santana Lopez signature." She pulls out a black Sharpie. "Give me your arm."

Pulling her eyes from the road, Brittany doesn't hesitate to allow the girl to touch her arm. She takes her right hand off the wheel, while Santana takes her by her forearm. Her heart starts to race, and she can feel her face start to flush red. Santana rubs her hand back and forth over her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you can't sell this autograph." She drags the marker in careful loops, sending a chill over Brittany's skull and down her spine. She can feel how soft Santana's left fingers are; a stark contrast from her right fingers.

"Why are your right fingers scratchy?"

"Oh, sorry. Callouses from playing guitar. I didn't scratch you did I?"

"No, all good." Brittany tilts her head to the side to read her new temporary arm tattoo.

"Shame, I could've kissed it better for you."

The car nearly careens into the barrier before Brittany corrects the steering wheel. "Shit! Sorry. I promise I'm normally a great driver."

"I didn't mean to freak you out or anything."

"About what?" Brittany squeaks out while brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"I said I could kiss you and you just about cause a ten car pile-up."

"I was just surprised that's all."

"Well, I guess this is as good a time as ever then. Brittany, I'm gay. So tell me know if you have a problem with this, and I'll just hitch a ride with the trucker and pray to baby Jesus that he won't chop me to bits and leave the pieces strewn across I-40."

"No! No, gosh. Santana, I don't have a problem at all with it."

Brittany definitely does not have a problem with that. Her mind starts with racing with the possibilities. Should she tell this stranger about how she has been questioning her sexuality? She hardly knows Santana. What if she blabbed about it and somehow her family found out? She is definitely not ready for that.

"Okay, good. You didn't seem the type to be all 'God Hates-'"

"Pennsylvania!"

Santana stares to her left. "I don't think he does."

"We're in Pennsylvania!" Brittany can't help the nerves that made her cut Santana off. She didn't want to hear it.

"I guess so, Britt. That leaves approximately 2,700 miles to go! Ughh, I wish I was able to sleep sitting up."

"Sorry. I wish I could put the seat back for you, but I've got so much stuff packed in here."

Santana pats Brittany's right knee. "No worries. I couldn't leave you to sit by yourself in silence all the way to LA."

"Got that right." Brittany feels herself calm down a bit after her mini-freak out. She thinks maybe she should talk to someone before even considering saying something to Santana. What would she even tell her? _Hi, I think I might be a lesbian too or maybe a half a lesbian. You're really hot. Would you mind letting me try this out on you?_

"I'm going to need some caffeine then. Let's stop at the next chance we get."

Fifteen minutes later they pull into a rest stop. After slamming her door shut Brittany walks three paces behind Santana. She watches how she walks with poise, how her hair naturally wavy and blowing in the breeze, and how her jeans fit her just right. Brittany shakes herself out of her thoughts and puts a skip in her step to catch up to Santana.

Santana opens the door for Brittany. "M'Lady"

"Why thank you, Madam," she responds with a curtsy. "I'm going to hit the bathroom. I don't need any coffee. Meet you back here?"

"Sure."

Britt dodges families of seven, little children screaming for their lost mothers who stand directly behind them, and the puddle of spilled cherry Icee to reach the bathroom. She finds the first stall which doesn't have pee all over the seat, sits, and takes out her phone. Swiping through her contacts, she hits 'Rach' and types out a quick text.

'Are you free to talk sometime tonight?'

She puts her phone back into her pocket, washes her hands, and heads out to find Santana. She sees her at the front of the line, which has grown three times in size. She is carefully counting out change in her hand and gives it to the cashier. Brittany walks closer to the coffee stand.

"It's $2.75, Ma'am. You're fifty cents short."

Santana feels around the bottom of her bag as the line grows impatient. "Just a second, I have it."

Britt takes a dollar from her left pocket and hands it to the lady behind the counter. "Here you go. No worries."

Santana takes the coffee and follows behind Brittany. "You didn't have to do that. I had the money."

"I know. It's just a buck. Plus, that guy standing behind you looked like someone pissed in his Cheerios this morning."

"Well, thanks, Britt. I owe you one." They exit the rest stop and get back into the car. "Oh, speaking of owing you one. I have a check that should cover the amount of gas for the trip. Just let me know once we get to LA if it's not enough."

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Brittany starts up the car and they head back onto the highway. Minutes later, she feels her thigh vibrate. Keeping one eye on the road, she pulls her phone out to read the new text.

'Of course! I have so much to tell you! Call me around 4pm- Pacific!'

Brittany wonders how she's going to be able to sneak this phone call. They didn't plan on stopping at a hotel for the first night. Maybe she can convince Santana because there is no way Brittany can have this conversation with Rachel in a public bathroom stall.

"Hey, Santana?"

"Yea?"

"I know we planned on driving through tonight, but do you think it would be alright if we stopped at a hotel tonight? I'm just feeling a bit sick, and I don't think I can stay in this car for another twenty hours."

"Um, yea ok." She takes a sip of her coffee and turns on the radio. "Do you want me to drive if you're feeling sick?"

"Oh, no, that's okay. I'll be fine for a bit longer."

"Ok, just let me know if you need to."

Brittany looks over to Santana. "Thanks." She realizes maybe she's staring a bit too long. Then she realizes Santana is as well. The girl smiles at her, and Brittany feels the panic in her start to rise like it did earlier. The honk of a car horn snaps her out of her daze.

"Geez, second time today, Britt."

"Sorry, I, um. Not feeling well."

With a knowing smirk, Santana replies, "Sure, sick. That's it."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks so much to those who have reviewed so far. Happy reading!**

Just as the sun sets, Brittany and Santana cross the state line into Indiana. Throughout the last two states, their time was spent playing games like Never Have I Ever, listening to music, and even enjoying a comfortable silence over long stretches of road. Brittany even learned that Santana indeed does have the most amazing singing voice. After much begging and a promise to owe her one, Santana finally caved and sang along to the radio. "I don't just do that for everybody, you know. Consider yourself special, Pierce." Over the past four hours of driving, Brittany couldn't get the girl off her mind. Anytime she tried to shift focus to her surroundings or think about her new job she simply couldn't. The slightest movement of a leg or the soft sigh from Santana got her heart racing. She needed to get to a hotel fast to get these feelings off her chest. Hopefully talking to Rachel could give her some perspective. She knows that Rachel will be supportive, but Brittany is not sure if she can handle Rachel in full-on shock mode. This is all unexpected, and she has the feeling Rachel will bombard her with questions. _When did you first have the feeling? Did you know while you were with Chad? Have you ever kissed a girl? Do you want me to set you up with somebody? I have already met a few nice lesbians here. _

Being just an hour outside of Indianapolis, Brittany decides that would be a good place to stop for the night. Santana has been quiet for the past few minutes. She stares straight ahead at the road as her hands fiddle with each other. She rubs each knuckle on one hand and then the other.

"Are you okay? You look nervous. Or do your hands hurt?"

"My hands just get sore a lot. Probably from guitar, or maybe I'm morphing into an old lady with arthritis."

Brittany thinks about it for a moment. "No, I don't think that's it. The rest of you looks young."

"So you're saying I still got it?" Santana motions down her body.

"I guess so," Brittany responds with a nervous laugh. "Well, just about another hour, and we will be able to get the heck outta this car."

"Do you want me to start driving tomorrow? You drove almost twelve hours today."

"I think that would be great, Santana. My back is starting to kill me, and my brain is getting all fuzzy."

"Okay, then. That's settled."

One hour later the two find a Hampton Inn right off the exit and pull in. "I love these places. They always have free cookies at the desk." Britt's excitement at the prospect of a free cookie makes Santana smile.

"Alright, Cookie Monster. Let's get going." Santana hops out the door, grabbing her rucksack. The temperature has dropped a bit since the sun has gone down. "Geez, I thought it was summer."

They walk into the lobby and Brittany heads over to the front desk. Santana grabs a cookie and sits on one of the couches, watching the television in the corner.

"Good evening, welcome to Hampton Inn. My name is Roger. Do you have a reservation, miss?"

"No reservation."

"Okay, we have plenty rooms available. Are you looking for one room?"

"Santana? Separate rooms right?" That was always the plan. She specifically put that in the Craig's List posting. She didn't know what kind of crazy person she could have ended up with. She supposes that she wouldn't mind sharing a room with Santana. Actually the thought kind of excites her, but she wants to give Santana her space if she wants it.

Santana swivels her head back around to Brittany. "That's fine, Britt."

"One room then, Roger. Single bed."

"Okay, we have one of those for you today. Non-smoking, free Wi-Fi, television, and a continental breakfast in the morning. The rate is $127.00 per night. I'll just need a credit card on file." Brittany dips in to her purse and hands over a card. "Thank you, Miss Pierce. Just one moment."

Santana gets up from the couch and heads over to Brittany. "Hey, Britt. I need to get my guitar from your car. Can I grab the key?"

"Sure. Oh, wait. I forgot to lock it, so it's open. Just lock up when you leave."

"Here is your room key, Miss. Room 117, just down this hall on the right. Breakfast starts at 6:30, and checkout is 11am."

"Thanks." Brittany turns to Santana, who starts to head out the door. "Text me your room number when you're done, okay? I'm going to go take a shower and stretch my legs out."

"Sure, Britt."

The two girls part ways. Britt grabs her bag and heads down the hallway. "113…115….117! Oh, hotel room. I love you so much right now." She throws her bag onto the chair at the desk by the window and plops down, stomach first, onto the bed. "Aahhhhh…..ah! What am I doing? Hotel comforter! Gross, gross, gross, gross." She jumps off the bed and rips the comforter from the bed. "So now is a good a time as any to shower."

After a relaxing twenty minute shower, Brittany wraps a fluffy white towel around herself and another on her head. She sits down at the desk and grabs her phone. There is no text from Santana. "Must have forgotten." Brittany sends a quick text asking what room she is in, and quickly shifts gears to call Rachel. She takes the towel from her head and rubs it against her hair. Having dried off enough water she throws it to the ground and steels herself for the confession she is about to make; not just to Rachel, but to herself. She brings the phone to her ear.

"Brittany!"

"Hey, Rach."

"How is the roadtrip going? Are all of my belongings safe and in one piece still?"

"Everything's fine, Rachel. Your collection of plaid skirts and animal sweaters will make it to California. I promise."

"Los Angeles is amazing, Britt. I cannot wait until you get here. The weather is fantastic, the men are insanely gorgeous, and everywhere you go you can find vegan food. I'm in heaven."

"Sounds great, I can't wait either. Listen, Rach, there was actually a reason why I wanted to call you."

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

She grabs the pen on the desk and starts doodling out of nervousness. Circles, squares, spirals. Over and over again.

"I…um….Okay, Rachel. You're my best friend, and I needed to talk to you about something because I know you won't judge me. And please don't freak out or anything. I mean, I know you won't freak out, but you might be surprised and-"

"Brittany, calm down. What is it? What's going on?"

"Well, you know how I broke up with a Chad a year ago, and you and Quinn are always asking why I haven't gotten out and dated since then."

"Yea..."

"There's a reason for that…..I think I like girls."

A long pause follows and fills the room in silence. Brittany can swear she feels her heart beating in through every part of her body. Hearing herself say the words out loud makes everything real. She thought it would be more terrifying, but she feels more like she just jumped off the high dive. It was scarier looking down than it was to fall.

"I knew it! I knew it, I told Quinn."

"What?! You guys knew? How?"

"Oh, honey. Maybe you thought you were being sly, but every time we went out to a bar or club you rejected every guy that approached you and spent most of the time ogling the hot lady bartenders."

"I had no idea. I just never told you both because this kind of scar."

"You know we love you and want you to be happy and be yourself. Don't worry about labeling yourself right now."

"Thanks, Rach." Brittany walks over to the head of the bed and sits against the headboard. "There's another thing."

"You have a crush on your car-buddy?"

"What the hell, Rach? Did you take a psychic class in the past few days or something?"

"Again, Britt. You're so obvious. The day I left you couldn't stop smiling about her. So, what team does this girl play for?"

"She's gay."

"Oh my god, that's perfect! But, Brittany, don't be too forward with her. You still have like seven more states to drive through. And they're the big ones in the middle."

"Should I like tell her that maybe I'm …you know, too? Or do I flirt with her? I don't know how to handle it."

"Just be your awesome self. There is no way she isn't already charmed by you. Maybe you can ask her to watch a movie some night in your hotel room."

Brittany imagines what it would be like to sit close to each other without having a center console between them.

"Thanks for being cool about this. It's good to have finally told somebody."

"This is going to be so fun. When you get here, we are so going out to West Hollywood."

"Sure thing. Listen, I've got to go. I'm starving and tired."

"Call me with any new developments!"

"Bye, Rach." She hangs up the phone and breathes a huge sigh of relief. She sees that Santana had sent her a text while she was on the phone.

'I'm upstairs. Not feeling great, I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast.'

Brittany decides to call her back instead of texting.

"Yea, Britt?"

"Hey, I'm sorry you're not feeling good. I have some Tylenol I could bring to you. Or I could get you some crackers or something."

"No, that's okay. Really, I'll be fine. Just get some sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Brittany wonders why she doesn't want any help, but wants to leave her alone if that's what Santana wants. The last thing she wants is to annoy her. A grumble from her stomach distracts Brittany, so she decides to walk across the street to the pizza place they saw to ease her hunger. She'll get some extra in case Santana feels better later. Brittany throws on her shorts and a sweatshirt, grabs her purse and room key, and heads out the door.

She walks past the front desk, grabbing two cookies on the way. Outside the hotel, she decides to check that the U-Haul trailer and the car are both locked. It's not that she doesn't trust Santana to have done so, but she fears the wrath of Rachel Berry if anything got stolen. They were parked just at the end of the lot. As Brittany walks closer, something looks off. She can't make it out, but as she walks closer it becomes clear. Someone is sitting in the car. It's Santana. She is in the passenger seat. She has her head leaned back and her eyes closed. She never got a hotel room. She didn't need to get her guitar from the car; she was going to sleep in the car tonight.

Brittany doesn't want to startle the girl by knocking on the window or unlocking the car from her starter key. She walks up carefully to the car and watches her. Her black hair swoops down to cover her right eye. Her arms are crossed over her abdomen. She looks cold. As Brittany goes to softly tap on the glass, Santana's eyes open.

"Britt!" She quickly sits up and looks around. She opens the door and gets out. "I was just…something dropped out of my bag. So I had to come back…."

"Santana, why didn't you just tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"We could have gotten one room; I just thought you might have wanted privacy. And if you can't afford it, it's no problem. But you can't sleep sitting up in a car, remember?"

Santana keeps looking at her feet. She shrugs, "I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to know that I couldn't pay for it. You're like a hot shot with an awesome new job, and I barely have enough to get a cup of coffee."

"I wouldn't judge you for that. That's not the kind of person I am."

"I'm sorry, I should've known. You're one of the sweetest people ever."

Brittany blushes and wants so badly to hug the girl standing in front of her. "C'mon, let's go. Grab your bag." They start walking back into the hotel, side by side.

"I'm really sorry again, Brittany. You shouldn't have to share your room with me. I can't even pay for my half of it."

"Nonsense. Look, from here on out we will split one hotel room. And you are not allowed to pay for any of it."

"No, Britt. I couldn't let you do that. Part of the whole reason you wanted to find someone to ride with you to LA was to split expenses."

"Maybe, but it wasn't the whole reason." Brittany opens the door for Santana. "I wanted someone to keep me company, and so far your company has been great."

Santana flashes a smile. "You too, Britt."

Brittany unlocks the door. "Welcome to my abode, Miss Lopez. What do you say we order some room service and see what crappy movies are playing on tv right now?"

"That sounds really great. Could I take a shower first?"

"Of course!" Brittany takes a look at the menu and orders some chicken fingers and fries for the two of them. She sits on the bed, waiting for Santana and the room service, while flipping through the channels. She can hear the shower running. On the other side of the wall, Santana is wet and naked. Brittany wonders what it would be like to be in there with her; to run her hands over her soapy body, wash her hair, and push up her up against the wall. "Whoa, Britt. Stop. You have to share a bed with her. Stop thinking these things or you might have a sex dream and accidentally grope Santana in her sleep."

*Knock-knock-knock* "Room Service!" Brittany jumps off the bed, takes out a couple ones from her purse, and opens the door.

"Hi! Thank you so much, I'm starving." The man rolls the cart into the room and places the food on the desk. "Here you go." She hands him the tip and he makes his way out of the room. She hears the shower stop. "Santana! Is it okay if I start without you?"

"Of course! Go ahead!" The bathroom door swings wide open. Santana is in just a towel, her wet hair dripping down her back. "Smells good." She walks over to where Britt sits at the desk. She leans over her to grab a fry. Brittany can smell the coconut shampoo, and she is trying very hard not to look at the cleavage directly in front of her eyes.

"Yea….tastes good too."

"So." Santana bites into more fries and turns to the television. "Anything good on?"

Brittany clears her throat. "No, not really."

"Figures. Oh well, I'm tired anyways."

"Me too."

Santana eyes the bed. "So, um, which side is yours?"

"You can take the left." Brittany finishes her food and hands the plate over to Santana. She goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she comes back out, Santana is under the covers, facing the window. Brittany shuts the lights and the television off. She carefully climbs into bed in case Santana is already asleep. She lies on her back and sneaks a look over to the girl beside her. Her breathing looks even so Brittany assumes she is in fact asleep. "Good night, San," she whispers.

Santana rolls over and startles Brittany. Her dark brown eyes stare back at her, and she looks a bit discomforted.

"What's wrong?"

Santana shifts a bit closer. "Thank you for letting me stay with you."

"Of course."

Her eyes start to get droopy, and Santana lets out a sigh, "You're the sweetest, Brittany." Santana shuts her eyes. Her right hand rests between them, and Brittany is daring herself to touch it.

"So are you."

Brittany pulls her hand from under the covers and turns onto her left side. She slowly brings her hand to cover Santana's. She waits and hopes that the girl doesn't rip it away. And she doesn't. Santana opens her eyes to stare back at her. "What are you doing?"

"You said your hands hurt." Brittany starts to massage her hand. She slides her fingers up and down each of Santana's. She rubs her palm and in between her knuckles.

"That feels nice." Santana lets herself bask in Brittany's touch before she shifts closer to her. She brings her left arm across Brittany's body; just about causing her heart to beat out of her chest. Santana's hand falls onto her lower back.

"What are you doing?"

"You said your back hurt." Santana rubs her hand over the sheet covering Brittany's back. She rubs on each side of her spine in small circles, then up to her shoulders. The two continue their small ministrations with eyes closed, falling closer to sleep.

Brittany doesn't want to think whether things are moving too fast, or if she should tell Santana what she is feeling.

But this feels right.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thanks so much for reading and let me know what you think with a review!**

Sunlight begins to peek through window curtains. Brittany forgot to shut them before getting into bed. It hits her directly in the face causing her to stir, and as she opens her eyes and gets her bearings, she sees Santana's head on the pillow next to her. She feels Santana's right arm still wrapped around her waist, resting just above the curve of her backside. It was as if they hadn't moved once during the night. As she tries to steady her breathing, Brittany takes the opportunity to watch Santana sleep. Her hair falls down her face covering her left eye. Her left arm is tucked under the pillow. Her lips are slightly parted, letting tiny breaths escape. Confident that she is deep in sleep, Brittany brushes Santana's hair away from her face to get a better look. Santana scrunches her nose, and Brittany freezes. The girl lets out a moan and pulls Brittany closer to her. She hasn't awoken just yet. Now their faces are inches from each other. Brittany can feel Santana's breath hit her neck and doesn't know whether she can stop her heart from beating so fast you could hear it.

"Hmmm". Santana lets out a noise. Brittany leans her head back to watch her. "Hmmmmm, yea. Pink." Brittany tries to stop from giggling at the conversation Santana is having with herself. "I'll take twelve. Mhmmm, twelve pink monkeys and a blue hippopatamamammmmm ."

Brittany silently laughs causing her body to shake. Santana jolts awake, lifting her head off the pillow and removing her arm from around Brittany.

"What, where….Oh." Santana remembers where she is and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. "Hi," she croaks and lies back down putting a bit of distance between them.

"Hi. So were you starting your own rainbow zoo or…?"

"Huh? Oh no, was I talking in my sleep? I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, what were you dreaming about?"

Santana takes a moment to remember the details. She squints her eyes and turns to Brittany. "I was at this store where they sold like these big candy animals. But the animals were alive. There was a little kid, and he was trying to bite into a mint alligator. The alligator kept trying to bite him back, but its teeth were made of gumdrops, so….And you were there." Santana smiles.

"Yea? What was I doing?" Brittany shifts up and leans on her elbow, looking down at the girl beside her.

"I don't think you said anything, but you were right next to me. I was going to buy you a cotton candy hippo."

"How sweet of you. I guess I owe you some dream candy."

"I'll count on it." Santana grins. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very." Brittany replays the night before in her mind. She remembers how soft Santana's hand was. She can remember the patterns Santana drew across her back. Brittany starts to feel uncomfortable with Santana's gaze upon her as if she knows she is replaying it all over again.

Santana breaks the tension for her. "Good. Well, all this talk, now I'm hungry. What time is it?"

Brittany looks past Santana to the bedside table. The alarm clock reads "6:52". "Breakfast started already. We better hurry up or all the good stuff will be gone."

The two get dressed and start to pack up their belongings. They venture down to the lobby, and Brittany eyes the 'make-your-own-Belgian waffle' apparatus. While she waits for the batter to cook, Santana grabs a bagel and fruit and sits down at a table. Minute by minute, the room starts to fill with the rest of the hotel guests. Brittany sees a businessman approach Santana. She can't make out what he says to her, but she hears Santana's response. Is he hitting on her?

"Taken, sorry." The man puts his hands up and backs away.

She's taken? As in 'has a girlfriend'? Brittany tries to remember if Santana had ever mentioned that before. The disappointment sinks into her stomach. Should she back off now? Should she even ask about this girlfriend? Maybe there is a reason Santana never talked about her.

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

The alarm on the waffle maker interrupts Brittany's thoughts. She turns back to the counter and takes her waffle out of the machine. Grabbing some syrup and a glass of orange juice, she heads for their table.

They sit in silence for a few moments, chewing on their breakfast. Brittany can't stop wondering if she should say something. Before she can make the decision she hears herself blurt out the question.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Santana finishes swallowing her bite, wipes the cream cheese from her lips, and responds. "No, why?"

"Then why'd you tell that douche over there that you were taken?"

"Who? That guy?" Santana points to the man sitting with a woman and two children.

"But you said…." Brittany says blankly.

"He asked to borrow your chair so I told him it was taken." Santana takes a bite of pineapple. "And to answer your question: no I don't."

"Sorry, I don't know why I thought…and it's none of my business." Brittany shakes her head and looks down at her half-eaten waffle.

"No worries, Britt. I would have told you if I did." She takes a sip of coffee.

"Have you had any girlfriends?" Brittany can't stop her curiosity now.

"Not in a while."

"How come?"

"Why don't we save that story for the road?" Santana takes the napkin from her lap and wipes her mouth. "You want to head out soon?"

"Yea, sure." Brittany takes one last bite, and the two throw away their garbage, head down the hall, and ten minutes later they are sitting in the SUV.

"You got insurance with this thing right?" Santana asks, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Yea, why? You're not a terrible stereotype of female drivers are you?"

"Hell, no. But from what you have told me about your roommate Rachel I'm kind of nervous that she will murder me in my sleep if I crash this thing and litter the highway with her crap."

"Don't worry about her. She's as harmless as fruit fly. Besides, I trust you."

"Aw, thanks, Britt." Santana beams and reaches over to rub her forearm.

Brittany basks in the feeling for a moment, before Santana brings her hand back to the wheel.

"Let's do this thing."

They spend the morning driving across I-70 West towards St. Louis. Santana spent most of her time humming along to the radio, while Brittany pretended to sleep so she could listen and sneak a peek at the girl. One time Santana caught her looking. Brittany tried to avert her eyes, but she knew she was busted. Santana just smiled and said, "Am I that entertaining?"

"Sorry." She can't think of an excuse. And she doesn't think she wants to give excuses anymore.

"Britt, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Shoot."

"You said you didn't have a boyfriend, right?"

"No, my last relationship was about a year ago."

"What was his name?"

"Chad. He was perfectly nice and everything, but you know…"

"Know what?"

"I could never love him." Brittany debates taking this moment to come completely clean about her sexuality. She feels comfortable with Santana and can't think of a reason to delay, but she panics. "He didn't want kids." That's a lie. She doesn't even know if he did or not.

"That's a shame. Kids are cute."

"You want to have children?"

"With the right person," Santana turns to Brittany. "Definitely."

"Me too."

"Sorry it didn't work out with that guy."

"It was for the best really. So about that story."

"Hm?"

"You know, um, about your dating. I figured since we were on the topic."

"Sure." Santana gets into the far right lane, and sets the car to cruise control. "My last real relationship was six years ago."

"Wow."

"Don't be shocked or anything." Santana says, dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, it's just. How can someone like you be single for that long?"

"Someone like me?"

"Well, you're beautiful. I mean…" Brittany panics for a moment in search of the right words to say, but eventually lets it stand. "Yea."

"Thank you, Britt. I'm not really though, but thanks."

"You're kidding right? Santana, you're like the most gorgeous girl I ever met."

Santana looks at Brittany nervously and for the first time isn't sure what to say back. "I, uh, could say the same about you."

Brittany smiles sheepishly and stares down at her lap. "So, um, why haven't you dated?"

"Well, six years ago I was 18. I had been dating my girlfriend for about a year. I thought she was the one. I wasn't out at the time. She was. I hadn't told my parents since I knew they would freak, and we were keeping it a secret. We were just about to graduate. I planned on going to college since my dad offered to pay. One day, she got pissed at me because I forgot to call her before I fell asleep. Then she just got angrier with me over the littlest things. So she thought the best way to handle that was to break up with me. Not only that, but she mailed a letter to my dad's office."

"Oh, no."

"Yea. She told him everything. He said I had until graduation, then that was it. On my own, couldn't pay for college, no girlfriend."

"I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine." Brittany puts a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb. She feels tears start to well in her eyes, and Santana notices.

"Hey, stop. It's okay. I'm doing alright. In a car with a pretty girl on my way to LA, not bad right?"

Brittany laughs, wiping beneath her eyes. "Yea."

"Sure, I've got trust issues and haven't spoken to my parents in forever, but…"

"You're pretty amazing, you know that."

"Not really," Santana shakes her head.

"I mean it. I don't know what I would do if that happened to me." Brittany wonders if she could have handled it.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that."

Brittany once again sees an opportunity, and once again fails to take the leap. Instead she attempts to lighten the mood.

"So no sweet hookups or anything since then?"

"Sweet hook-ups? What are you, 80?" Santana laughs. "And of course! Just nothing lasting longer than a week. What about you?"

"Nothing since Chad."

"Jesus, Britt, so it's been a year? Damn."

"It's no big deal, really. I like to have feelings for someone anyways. I don't think I could just get with somebody without getting to know them first."

"I know what you mean." Santana turns back to the road. "I kind of miss that feeling you get when you're with someone you care about for the first time."

"Butterflies," Brittany breathes out.

Santana glances back, "Totally."

Just before St. Louis city limits, Brittany suggests they stop for lunch. "I heard there's really great barbeque around here."

"That sounds amazing right about now. Search for some good places on your phone."

"Aye-aye, cap'n. Let's see." Brittany swipes at her phone and deftly types in the search. "Pappy's Smokehouse…..The Shaved Duck! No way, we're not going there."

"That sounds horrifying. What else?"

"Roper's ribs….Bogart's Smokehouse? That's not far off the highway."

"Awesome, let's do it."

"Have you ever been to St. Louis before?" Brittany looks out the window at the city off in the distance.

"No, I've never been this far west actually. You?"

"Me neither"

"I totally could have been a crazy person. You've got quite the cojones to get into a car with a complete stranger."

"Same goes for you!" Brittany laughs. "You didn't know anything about me either."

"Worth the risk. Plus, I didn't have anything to lose."

"Don't say that." Brittany turns to tuck her leg beneath her and face Santana. "I would be really upset if you were to be abducted by a psycho."

"Thanks, Britt."

"It's nice to finally get to see places I've only ever seen on television." Brittany looks back at the driver. "And I'm glad it's with you."

"Me too." Santana takes a breath and brushes her hair behind her ear. Santana reaches her hand across the console, palm facing up. Brittany is somewhat stunned at the bold move from Santana. It's not much different than what Brittany did herself the night before. However, in the bright of day, it all feels much more significant. She slides her hand into Santana's, who curls her fingers around the back of Brittany's.

Unsure of how long this hand-hold will last, Brittany sneaks a glance to the brunette who keeps her eyes focused on the road. Since it doesn't seem that it will end soon, she lets herself feel. Every few moments, Santana grips her palm a little tighter when a car passes a little too close. Brittany feels safe. She imagines what it would be like to do this all the time. To hold hands while walking down the street or sitting in a movie theater or shopping for groceries or watching the kid's soccer game or…

"Britt, what exit?" Santana pulls her hand away to change lanes.

As her daydream quickly dissipates, she takes a look at her phone to find the correct exit. "I think you can take 208."

Brittany and Santana finally get out of the car, taking a moment to stretch their legs. Moments later they are seated by the window of the restaurant. "It's nice to go someplace where all they have is meat. Usually, I'm stuck at some raw bar with Rachel trying to bribe the busboy to run down the street to get me a burger."

"Well, I think we came to the right place then." Santana points to the menu in front of her "Pulled Pork…Sausage fatty – wanky...turkey, beef brisket, pastrami…"

"I think I'm going to have to go classic with the ribs."

The waitress comes over to the table. "Hi there, my name is Jessica. I'll be your server this afternoon. Can I start you girls off with something to drink?"

"I'll have a lemonade." Britt replies. Jessica looks over to Santana with a smile.

"Diet Pepsi."

"Are you set to order? Or do you need a minute?"

"Are you good, Santana?" She nods. "Okay, I'll have the ribs."

"And for you miss?" Brittany doesn't like the way this waitress is looking at Santana.

"And I'll have the Pulled Pork sandwich." Santana hands her menu back to Jessica.

"Thank you girls, it'll be right out."

"Thanks." Santana responds with a wink.

"What was that?" Brittany knows it was no big deal, and that she has no right to be jealous.

"Just a little flirting. Why? Did she seem into it?" Santana looks back to where the waitress is handing putting in the orders.

"No," Brittany states bluntly.

"Oh. Well, anyways." Santana rests her arms on the table and looks to Brittany. She can see that she is not acting herself. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Did that bother you? Because you said you didn't have a problem with me being gay."

"No! I mean, no of course not. That's not it."

"So what, are you jealous of her or something?"

"No." Brittany crosses her arms.

"Brittany, just tell me."

"Santana, there's nothing wrong. I was just curious if that's what girl-flirting looked like." Brittany winces at her lame attempt at an excuse.

Santana seems satisfied with that answer and doesn't push the matter further. "Okay, well that wasn't my best flirting really. Not my A-game. I'll show you that sometime, I promise."

Two plates of food and four drinks later, they are back on the road headed towards Oklahoma. They reach the border around sundown, and pull into a motel in Tulsa.

"You know I will pay you back someday, Britt. I promise."

"It's okay, Santana. Just don't forget me when you're famous. I won't say no to box seats at one of your shows or anything."

"I'll do better, backstage passes." They walk into the lobby and start to book a room with the woman at the front desk.

"One room, will that be two queen beds or one king?"

Brittany turns to Santana, unsure of what to do. She can't just tell her that she really, really enjoyed sleeping next to each other last night. Santana speaks up for her.

"One bed is cheaper right? Let's do that."

"Yea. Okay." While Brittany flails internally, she turns back to the receptionist. "One king."

Minutes later they walk down the hall and enter their room for the night. Santana plops down on the bed, throwing her bag against the wall. "I'm not too tired yet. Are you?"

Brittany pauses from rifling through her bag. "Not really. Want to watch a movie? See what's on." She throws the remote from the top of the television onto the bed.

"Careful! You could hit this pretty mug." Santana motions to her face.

Brittany plugs in her phone, puts on a pair of sweats and crawls onto the bed next to Santana. "Anything good?" Santana continues flipping through the channels past reality shows, home shopping networks, and baseball games.

"Oh! Stop! Go back!"

"Which channel? This one?"

"Yes! Scary movie!"

"No, no, no Britt. I told you! I don't do scary movies."

Brittany pulls on her arm. "C'mon, it's not that bad. I'll be right here next to you the whole time."

Santana looks back to Brittany, who is giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, but If I have a night terror at three am and attempt to strangle you, then you only have yourself to blame."

"I'll take that risk. Shut off your lamp."

Brittany takes the remote to turn up the volume and gets under the sheets. Santana follows suit.

The glow of the television fills the room. The movie picks up where the lead actress is stuck alone in the basement, wielding a crowbar for protection.

"I don't like this already."

Brittany just laughs, and over the next few scenes Santana inches closer and closer. Eventually she has her arm wrapped around Brittany's elbow. Then she has shifted her body completely towards Brittany's. Her leg is right up against her thigh, and her head rests on her shoulder.

Brittany wants to calm her nerves, but she doesn't want her to move. She puts her left arm around Santana so it reaches her back. "It's not real."

The character on screen is now walking through an abandoned hospital, and all has gone silent. Santana turns to the movie through shielded eyes at the precise moment the killer jumps out from a closet.

"Ah!" She stuffs her face into Brittany's neck and starts breathing heavily.

"Geez, you really are scared of scary movies, huh?"

Santana nods. "Don't make fun of me."

"Hey," Brittany lefts Santana's chin. "I'm not making fun." She starts to rub her thumb over her cheek. "We're all scared of something."

Santana's eyes shift over Brittany's. She sits up and leans on her forearm. Then, Santana brings her face directly in front of her's. She pauses for a moment to be sure then connects their lips. Brittany gasps into her mouth, and Santana starts dragging her lips across the blonde's while bringing her hand up to her neck. Brittany lets herself respond to the kiss and grabs the girl's top lip with her own. Soon she can't stop the moan from leaving her mouth and pulls away.

"Santana…."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the kinds words in your reviews. I'm still getting used to writing in this format, so I'm just surprised anyone likes it even in the slightest. So your comments are so nice to read! P.S. stay strong, fandom.****  
**

"Santana."

The brunette stares back in shock and her brow filled with worry. "Fuck, I'm sorry." Santana turns away, throwing the covers from her lap. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Wait," Brittany reaches out to grab her arm. "Santana."

"No, I shouldn't have done that." She looks around the floor of the hotel room, eyes her hoodie, and starts to put it on. "I misread the signs. I'm so sorry." She takes a few swift steps towards the door.

"Stop, listen. Where are you going?" Brittany gets out of bed, nearly tripping over the sheets.

"I'll be back, I just…" She takes one look back at Brittany with an apologetic face, and then she is out the door.

Brittany runs over to the desk to grab the room key and follows her out. She looks down either side of the hallway, and she can't find the girl anywhere. She runs to the lobby where she is met with a soccer team checking in. The twenty-something guys are hanging all over the couches in the corner, kicking a ball around, and joking loudly. Brittany tries to see through the crowd for Santana.

"You looking for your girlfriend?"

She swivels her head towards the guy, ignoring how nice it was to hear those words. "What?"

"The hot chick? She went that way." He points towards the back door leading outside to the pool.

"Thanks."

Brittany opens the door, steps outside, and lets her eyes adjust to the dark. She scans the area which is poorly lit with only a glow from the underwater lights in the pool. In the corner she spots Santana sitting on a lounge chair, with her head in her hands. Brittany's heart breaks at the sight. She doesn't want the girl to feel bad about what happened; especially since she had wanted to do it for days.

Brittany takes a few cautious steps around the pool. As she gets closer she can hear Santana sniffling. The light creates a shadow in front of Santana's feet, alerting her of Brittany's presence.

"Oh," she wipes her eyes with her sleeve. "Hi." Her voice is so small, lacking its usual strength and smoothness.

"Scoot over," Brittany motions with her head. Santana shifts to her right to let Brittany take a seat.

"I'm sorry, Britt."

"There's nothing wrong, Santana. You didn't need to come out here."

"I don't want you to think that I was trying to take advantage of you, like some creepy, predatory lesbian who tries to hit on all of her female friends."

Brittany grabs Santana's left hand. "I don't think that, and you weren't taking advantage. In case you didn't notice…I liked it."

Santana shifts her body towards Brittany. "Yea?"

"Totally." The blonde grabs her other hand. "I, um, I didn't plan on telling all this, but here goes."

Santana looks straight into her eyes ready to hear what Brittany has to say.

"I know we only met a couple days ago, but I feel really comfortable around you."

"Me too," Santana smiles.

"And as of a couple days ago, I was hiding a big secret. But meeting you and making this trip has given me a kick in the ass."

Santana quirks an eyebrow.

"In a good way. I told Rachel, and apparently I'm terrible at hiding a secret because she already knew."

"Told Rachel what?"

"I know I acted kind of strange today. It was because I was jealous. I got jealous when I thought that guy was hitting on you, and then again when you winked at the waitress."

Santana nods knowingly. "I thought maybe you were, but I then I thought that was just me seeing something that wasn't there. So does that mean…?"

"I'm not sure what I am, but I've felt I was different for long time." Santana puts her hand on Brittany's knee. "I told you why I broke up with my boyfriend. It wasn't because he didn't want kids."

"So you told your roommate?"

"Yea, the other day at the rest stop."

"That's really great, Brittany. How do you feel about it?" She rubs her thumb back and forth over the side of her knee.

"It's still really scary, but then I remember why I did it."

"Why's that?"

"Because I wanted to be able to hold your hand. And then we did." She covers Santana's hand on her leg.

"Then I wanted to kiss you. And we did."

Santana smiles and leans in towards Brittany. "So no regrets?"

Brittany shakes her head. "None."

"Good, so can we do it again?"

"Mmhmm." Brittany closes the gap and brings her lips to Santana's. She brings her left hand to her cheek and her right hand around Santana's back. She feels her tongue graze her bottom lip so she tilts her head and slightly opens her mouth. For the first time, Brittany feels a true kiss. She didn't know what it could be like, and she never wants to stop. Santana cradles the back of her head, and she feels the sudden urge to push her back to lie across the lounge chair.

"Wow," Brittany pulls away for a breath.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

Brittany's eyes widen at the proposal.

"To sleep, I mean. We've got a lot of driving to do tomorrow, plus it's kind of creepy out here."

"Yea, okay."

Santana stands and puts out a hand. She pulls Brittany up and interlaces their fingers, leading the way back to their hotel room.

Santana shuts the door behind her, and Brittany throws herself onto the bed.

"Do you want to talk some more or just go to sleep?" Santana asks from the foot of the bed.

"What would you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, I guess about what all this means."

"How about we do that tomorrow and right now….could we just cuddle in bed?" Brittany gets under the covers, propping herself up against the headboard.

"Deal." Santana goes to the corner of the room to her bag to grab a change of clothes. Brittany watches as she turns her back and peels off her shirt. Santana stands in just her bra, baring her toned back. She bends over to take off her pants, and Brittany makes the mistake of staring a little too long. Santana looks out of the corner of her eye and catches her. Brittany quickly turns her attention to her fingernails.

"It's okay, Britt."

"Sorry, I just…I don't know." Brittany picks at her nails. "You have a really nice body," she blurts out.

Santana grins back to her. "Thanks. So do you." She throws on a tank top and a pair of shorts then walks over to the bed. She pulls back the cover and slides in.

Brittany turns off the lamp, sets the alarm on her phone, and turns on her side towards the middle of the bed. "I set the alarm for 7. Is that okay?"

"Yea, that's fine." Santana turns on her side as well to face Brittany. She looks at her nervously, unsure of what to do.

Brittany reaches over to grab her hand. Santana smiles in recognition of how she did the same the night before. Santana takes the cue and wraps her arm around Brittany, softly rubbing her back.

"I really liked when you did that last night."

"Did you totally see through my ploy?" Brittany laughs.

"I had hoped….but I told myself you were just being nice, maybe one of those touchy feely straight girls."

Brittany moves so she can rest her head on Santana's pillow with her face inches away. She looks into her eyes, moves her hand from covering Santana's to reach around to her back. They lay mirroring each other, memorizing each other's face. Santana strains her neck forward to give Brittany a delicate kiss on her forehead and rests her cheek on top of her head.

"Good night, Britt."

"Night, San."

The two girls are finally on the road again by 8am. Brittany decided to drive, giving Santana a break so she could have a turn to sneak glances. They're driving a long stretch of road along in Oklahoma when Santana finally addresses the elephant in the car.

"So, now that we're just about the only car on this road, do you think we can have that talk now?"

Brittany turns to Santana with a hesitant smile. "Sure."

"Okay." Santana shifts in her seat, puts her phone away, and clears her throat. "Okay."

Brittany waits for her to continue. "Okay?"

"We've only got 1,390 miles left."

"You counted?"

"Yes. And Brittany, I know this is all so new for you. And this all happened very fast. I won't blame you if the minute we pull into Los Angeles you head for the hills. But could we pretend that this car, this road, is all there is? There's nothing else. There's no ticking clock counting down the minutes until we have to say goodbye?"

"You're right. This is all happening very fast."

Santana hangs her head, nodding along. "I know, I'm sorry."

"But I have waited a long time for someone like you to come along; to break me out of my shell. I don't care if we move at warp speed. So let's not think about what might happen."

Santana grins in relief that Brittany is on the same page. "I was also thinking that….you know since we're half way through the trip already…"

"Yea?"

"Are you on a tight schedule?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have to be in Los Angeles in two and a half days?"

"I guess not, no."

"Okay, so I was thinking, let's not just spend all day on the road. Let's experience some things together."

"Like, sight-see?"

"Yea, I just really want to make the most of our time together."

Brittany grabs for her hand. "Me too. So what's our first adventure?"

"I have a few things in mind, but since there's not a whole lot around these parts, I was thinking we could stay tonight in Santa Fe?"

"That sounds great!"

"Yea. My aunt used to live there and I've always wanted to go."

"Sounds like a plan."

They have another eight hours to kill driving west. Over that time, Santana sneaks photos of Brittany on her phone, draws lazy circles on her forearm, and lets Brittany tell her about her life growing up. When they stop for lunch, they decide to sit next to each other instead from across. They sneak a quick kiss in the bathroom and one before they pull out of the parking lot. Brittany is starting to feel at ease, and at the same time is terrified of what might happen. She has to keep forcing herself not to think two days down the line, but to stay in the moment.

The sun is beginning to set as they exit off I-40 and drive north towards Santa Fe.

"I'm starving. Can you hear my stomach right now?" Brittany points to her abdomen.

"No, let me listen closer." She leans her down towards Brittany's lap.

"Santana! I'm driving!" She puts her hand on the back of Santana's head.

"Nope, I still can't hear anything." She whips her head up and sits back in her seat.

Brittany is still flushed over how close Santana was to her lower region. The thought excited her, but terrified her as well.

"I can't wait to get an authentic tamale. Have you ever had one?"

"No, I don't think so."

"I have so much to teach you." Santana winks.

"Totally," Brittany beams back to her.

They are finally sitting in a dimly lit restaurant in downtown Santa Fe. On their table sit half empty plates of food and two margaritas.

"You were right, this is amazing." Brittany mumbles through a mouth full.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Want to try a beef tamale?"

"Yes!"

Santana cuts off a piece and brings her fork over to Brittany's mouth.

"Mmmm. That's so good." A bit of red chile sauce is left on the corner of her lip. Santana brings her hand up and wipes it off with her thumb, and subsequently licks it off her thumb. Brittany's eyes become hooded at the sight, and Santana knows what she is doing to her.

The waiter walks up to the table. "Can I get you both another drink?"

"Sure! Santana?"

"Umm, I don't think I should buy another."

"Are you sure? You've only had one."

"No, I should save what money I have."

"It's on me. C'mon, have another margarita with me!"

"Okay. Thanks, Britt."

"Yes!"

"Two more coming right up, ladies."

An hour later they have paid the check and are stumbling their way down the street back to the hotel. Brittany has her arm wrapped around Santana's shoulder who has her arm around her waist.

"I'm so glad you had this idea. You're so smartttt."

"I'm glad you said yes. And I'm glad you're so pretty and nice and….everything!"

Brittany plants a kiss to the top of Santana's head. "You're prettier and nicer and everything-er!"

They stop at crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn.

"I want to hug you." Santana reaches her arms up and stands on her tip-toes to hug Brittany around her neck. Brittany sighs into the girl's neck and hums in content.

"I want to hug you all the time now. And I'm not just saying that because I'm drunk. I mean, I am drunk, but it's the truth."

Santana places a kiss to her neck and drops down to her feet. The light turns and they run across the street and into their hotel. Brittany throws the door open and the two spill onto the bed in the middle of the room.

"I'm hot," Brittany mumbles as she pulls off her top.

"I know you are. So so hot." Santana sits up and places a kiss to Brittany's bare shoulder. The blonde turns into the kiss and pulls her face to her own. The two start making out heavily in their drunken state. Brittany lies down, pulling Santana with her, as their tongues slide against each other. Santana starts rubbing her hand up and down her side, just grazing her breast.

"Mmm, San," Brittany gasps.

"Yea?" Santana continues kissing over Brittany's neck and collarbone.

"I really, really, really like doing this, but we're drunk, and I don't wanna…"

Santana lifts her head from her Brittany's neck, breathing heavily. "Yea, yea. No, you're right. We don't have to do that. Let's go to sleep."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"No, Britt. It's fine, you're right. We drank a bit too much so we should go to bed." Santana smiles and kisses her once more on the mouth.

Brittany gets under the covers and shuts her eyes while reaching out for Santana. The brunette strips down to a tank top and underwear and climbs in. They lie cuddled up next to each other, face to face. Brittany starts fading quickly and Santana watches her fall asleep. She runs her hands over her back gently and listens to her breathing steady.

"I'm really going to miss you, Britt," she whispers. "Please don't forget me."

Brittany, who had been just on the verge of sleep, stirs at the sound of Santana's words.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews! On a personal note, not that anyone might care, but I came out to somebody for the first time ever the other day. Just an acquaintance, but it's still something I never thought I would do. Maybe it was writing for Brittany in this fic that helped me, who knows. Anyways, thanks again for reading! Leave a comment if you'd like!**

Brittany's mind races at the words. Why would she forget her? She doesn't know whether she should pretend to be sleeping or to open her eyes and ask Santana just what those foreboding words mean. The seconds pass, and she feels it's too late to speak up. So she stays still, feeling Santana's hand across her back lulling her to sleep.

A few hours later, Britt wakes up and reaches her arm across the bed. All she feels is cold sheets.

"Santana?" Brittany sits up, hoping to hear her voice from the bathroom. She hears no response, and suddenly last night comes rushing back to her. She looks around the room in a panic and sees that Santana's bag is still sitting in the corner. "Oh, thank goodness." Brittany grabs her cell phone off the bedside table and calls her.

"Hey, Britt."

"Where are you?"

"I'm across the street. I was hoping you'd still be asleep when I got back. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast."

"I'm sorry I ruined your surprise. But you kind of scared me. I thought you had left me or something."

Santana laughs, "Where would I have gone?"

"I don't know, forget it. I was being silly."

"I'm with you to the end, Britt."

She is temporarily reassured by these words, but knows that the end is Los Angeles. Santana was right. They don't know what may happen when they get there. They only just met, and things can change in an instant. They minute they step out of the car at the final destination, the dynamic will shift.

"Right, to LA."

"I'll be right back, okay? I'm about to get in the check-out line."

"Okay, bye."

Brittany plugs the phone back into its charger and finds a new outfit for the day. She takes it into the bathroom and takes a shower. As she is rinsing off her soaped up body, she hears Santana return with a slam of the door. It gives her butterflies in her stomach and up to her throat. The whole situation feels quite domestic; as if Santana is home from a day of work and brought dinner.

Brittany finishes her shower and gets dressed. She steps out of the bathroom to find Santana sitting by the window with a cup of coffee. On the table are two plates with bagels and fruit salad and a coffee for Brittany.

"Good morning," Brittany says will walking into the room.

Santana stands up and sets her coffee down. "Morning," she grins and kisses her sweetly on the lips. It sends tingles all over Brittany's body. "Did you sleep well?"

"Completely," Brittany eyes the food on the table. "You didn't have to buy all this, Santana."

"I wanted to. You have done so much for me, and I just wanted to kind of repay you. I know it's not much, but…"

"It's okay, Santana. And this looks so good."

They take the plates onto the bed and eat while watching the morning news shows.

"I'm stuffed," Brittany groans and lies down with her head on Santana's lap.

"Me too. Here let me rub your belly." Santana places her hand over Brittany's stomach, caressing her softly. She reaches down at the bottom of Brittany's shirt, silently asking for permission to lift it up. Britt smiles, so she pulls up her tank top, revealing her toned abs. Santana moves her palm back and forth while Brittany closes her eyes to imprint the feeling in her memory.

"That's nice. You should be a masseuse."

"You think?"

"Yea…..Wait, no."

Santana stops the motion of her hand. "Why not? See if I ever give you a massage again!" Santana jokes.

"I mean, you're really good, but that would mean you have to touch other people. And maybe I don't like that very much."

Santana runs her hand through Brittany's hair. "So it would bother you if I was doing this to someone else?" She starts to move her hand in circles over her lower stomach and across her ribs.

"Mm, yea."

"Turn over."

Brittany looks up at Santana with a smirk, and then rolls over onto her stomach. Santana moves to place a leg on either side of her hips. She sits down, careful to not place too much weight.

"Let's just see how good of a masseuse I am." Santana lifts Brittany's shirt up over her shoulders. "Can I unhook this?" she asks tugging on her bra strap.

"Sure," Brittany gulps.

Santana deftly unhooks it with one hand. "Just a sec," she hops off the bed and goes into the bathroom. She returns with the tiny bottle of complementary body lotion, and sits back down over Brittany's legs. She dabs some lotion onto her hands and starts rubbing Brittany's lower back. She makes tiny circles on either side of her spine, all the way up to her neck. Brittany starts humming in content and Santana smiles knowing she can make her feel that good. She brushes her blonde hair to the side in order to rub her neck with her thumbs.

"How is that?"

"You're really good at this. Like really."

Santana starts making broader strokes across her back, attempting to not look at the side of Brittany's naked breasts. "Good." She continues rubbing and looking for any kinks.

"So what's next on your list of things to see?"

"I was thinking maybe the Grand Canyon? Unless you think that's like super lame."

Brittany turns her head to the side. "No, that's not lame. I've always wanted to see it."

"Cool. I think it should take about six hours. We could be there by sunset."

"That sounds great, San. Mm, keep doing that." Santana giggles and continues digging her fingers into the area just above Brittany's waist.

"If I keep doing this, I don't think we'll ever leave the room."

Brittany turns over underneath Santana. "I think you're right about that." She reaches up and tugs on Santana's shirt bringing her face down to hers. She plants a kiss to her lips, eliciting a moan from Santana. "Let's go!"

The two are back on the road within twenty minutes and settled into their comfortable routine. Brittany drives while Santana occasionally reaches for her hand, stares out the window, and hums along to whatever is playing on the radio.

"Want to play a game," Brittany breaks the silence.

"What kind of game?"

"How about we get to ask each other three questions, and we have to answer honestly. Or if you don't want to answer then you owe the other person a kiss."

"My gosh, that sounds like a dreadful punishment Britt," she teases. "Deal, you start."

"Okay, what is your favorite movie?"

"Now you can't laugh, alright?"

Brittany raises her right hand, "I promise."

"Okay…..it's 'Miss Congeniality'."

Brittany lets out a snort. "I'm sorry!"

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"No, I'm not laughing at you. It's just funny that you think that's embarrassing. Who doesn't love that movie? I thought you were going to say 'Showgirls' or something."

Santana pouts, "I still think you should owe me a kiss for breaking your promise and laughing."

"Okay, sour-puss." Brittany takes her eyes off the road and kisses Santana on the cheek. "There. Your turn."

"What was your first memory ever?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one. I guess the first thing I can remember is sitting in my high chair in kitchen. I was probably three or so. My mom was at the sink peeling potatoes or carrots or something. And I remember asking for more cheese, and she wouldn't give me any. So I wriggled out of the safety belt and fell. I hit my head on the floor pretty hard and I had a cut on my face. See? Right here." Brittany points to the corner of her cheekbone. Santana leans forward, brushing her hand across her face to find the faint white scar.

"I hadn't noticed that." Santana leans over to kiss the scar.

"I was a reckless child, always managing to hurt myself. I have so many scars all over my body."

"Really? Well, I'll just have to see for myself sometime."

"My turn. When did you lose your virginity?"

"I was 16. It was dumb, I was at some party and to be honest, I don't remember much about it. It was a girl in my class who afterwards threatened that if I told anybody she would make my life hell."

"I'm sorry. That's terrible." Brittany rubs her hand over Santana's knee.

"It's okay. Same question to you."

"I was 19, but I don't really count it."

"How come?"

"Well, it was with a guy, my ex-boyfriend. And I never actually….you know…with him."

"You mean you've never…."

"I've been able to please myself, but just never with another person. It's so embarrassing."

"No it's not. Plenty of women have trouble with that."

"Really?"

"Totally, you're not alone."

Brittany smiles at Santana shyly. "Last question. What made you respond to my post online? I mean I know you're trying to make it as a singer, but why are you moving now?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Never."

"I had been considering doing it for a while now, but a part of me was too chicken to take the leap. So one night I decided to leave it up to fate. I was living on my friend's couch, and I said to myself if someone posts on Craig's List about driving to LA by midnight tonight, I'll do it. If not, I'll take it as a sign that I should give up on music and get a bartending job. And it was not even an hour later, you posted. You have no idea how happy you made me, Brittany."

"So that's why you responded so quickly."

"Yea, I guess it was meant to be." Santana takes Brittany's hand to place a kiss on her knuckles. "Last question. When did you realize that you liked me?"

Brittany turns to Santana, looking her straight in the eyes. "The second I heard your voice on the phone. That's when I knew I liked you."

Santana smiles and leans across the console. She brings her arm around Brittany's shoulder and nuzzles her face into neck. "I really like you too, Britt." She kisses her on her clavicle and moves up to her neck. Santana starts sucking lightly, trying to leave a mark.

"San, I'm driving. You have to stop that."

"You mean stop this?" Santana licks over the spot and lightly bites her skin.

"Mmm, yea that. Or I'm going to crash this car."

"Okay," Santana sits back into her seat. "Hurry up and drive then."

Hours later, they pull into Grand Canyon National Park. They follow signs for parking and the two excitedly exit the car.

"Did you ever think you'd see this place?" Santana grabs Brittany's hand and intertwines their fingers.

"I don't know; I always hope that I can eventually see everything."

"Everything? Well, good thing we're getting a start on that."

"There it is!" They walk briskly up to the viewing area. "Wow."

"This is so cool," Santana stops walking while still holding onto Brittany's hand. "But I'm kind of afraid of heights, so I'll just stand right back here."

"That's adorable. C'mon at least come up to here so we can take a good picture." Brittany attempts to coax Santana a little closer.

"I don't want to," Santana mumbles.

"You'll be fine. I'll hold onto you so nothing can happen."

"Okay." She takes a few cautious steps forward into Brittany's arms.

"See? You're fine." Brittany takes out her phone and brings it in front of them. "Smile for me, San." She brings the phone in front of their faces and presses the screen. "Perfect. Let's go sit on that bench." Brittany leads Santana over and the two sit close. Brittany puts her arm around her shoulders, and the two sit quietly, watching as the sun starts to set in the sky. It turns a mixture of orange and pink, and Brittany thinks there is nothing more perfect than this moment. She wishes it could last forever, but in a few minutes, the sun will have set. It reminds her of how time is fleeting.

"Santana?"

"Yea?" She turns to head up towards Brittany.

"Last night, when we were falling asleep, I heard you say something."

"Oh, you heard me say…"

"'I'm really going to miss you. Please don't forget me.' It kind of scared me. What did you mean?"

"I'm sorry, Britt. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just…I guess I'm scared myself. You're such a good person, and I can't believe you even like me."

"Of course I like you."

"I'm just afraid that once we get to LA, we might lose touch. It's like we're in a safe little bubble here, away from the real world. Once we get out of the car, everything might change. We'll run in different crowds, and I don't want you to get caught up in my world."

"Why wouldn't I want to be part of your world?"

"You're too good for it. I'll be living on my cousin's couch, working at his sketchy club. I don't want to you to be involved in that." Brittany hears Santana's plans for the first time.

"Santana, you're overthinking all of this. If we want to be together, for real, _together,_ then nothing can stop that." Brittany takes her by the hand. "If you want to be with me, then just be with me."

Santana's eyes start watering, and she wipes them with her sleeve. "But if..."

"No, Santana. Do you want to be with me?"

"Yes."

"Then we have nothing to worry about."

Santana grabs Brittany by the neck and the two share a passionate kiss. Their hands start roaming over each other's bodies while their tongues graze each other. Santana pulls back to take a breath, nuzzling her nose against Brittany's.

"There are a lot of people around."

"Let's go find a hotel." Brittany eyes Santana with desire. "Now."

"Okay," Santana stands and holds her hand out for Brittany. They power-walk back to the car and quickly find the nearest hotel.

Brittany parks the car and grabs their bags from the back. They walk up to the counter, ringing the bell. A bearded man appears from the back office.

"Hi, ladies. How can I help you this evening?"

"We need a room. Whatever is available."

"Okay, we've got a few doubles, a couple king suites, and I think we have-"

"Anything! The king suite is fine." Brittany answers impatiently.

"Alright then. Will that be for one night?"

"Yes," the two girls answer at the same time, trying to get the manager to move things along so they can continue what they started earlier.

"Alright, credit card?"

"Here," Brittany hands it over.

"Okay, Miss Pierce. Here is your key, Room 109. Down the hall to the left."

"Thank you!" Brittany grabs it and the two hurry down the hall.

Brittany opens the door and throws their bags to the side. She turns around and grabs Santana by her cheeks. They kiss while walking backwards towards the bed. Santana nudges her down to sit on the edge of the bed, and then straddles Brittany's legs. She rubs her back while they continue making out.

"Are you sure about this?" Santana asks through heavy breaths.

Brittany nods, "Yes. I'm sure."

Santana smiles and begins kissing down her neck. She peels off her shirt and looks to Brittany. She takes the hint and takes off her shirt. Santana pushes Brittany flat against the bed and lies down on top of her. She sucks on Brittany's lower lip while her left hand starts rubbing her stomach. Santana leans up on her knees and brings her arms behind her back to take off her bra.

Brittany's eyes widen and her cheeks blush at seeing Santana's breasts for the first time. "Wow. You're so beautiful."

"Touch them." Santana takes Brittany's hands and lift them to her chest. "How do they feel?"

Brittany starts massaging them. "Amazing," she sits up and brings her face closer to them. Santana puts her hand on the back of Brittany's head, encouraging her to come even closer. Brittany looks up to Santana, who smiles down at her. Brittany closes her eyes and wraps her lips around Santana's left breast. She flicker her tongue over the nipple then does the same to the right. Santana tilts her head back, basking in the feeling of Brittany's mouth.

"Come here," Santana tilts Brittany's head up towards her to kiss her hard on the mouth. She stands up from the bed and unbuttons her pants, while Brittany unhooks her bra. Santana stands in her underwear watching. "Can I?" she motions towards Brittany's pants.

"Mm-hmm."

Santana kneels at her feet and slowly unzips her pants. She grabs the waistband and pulls down, revealing black lace underwear. "Wow, Britt."

"Can we get under the covers?"

"Sure," Santana walks around to the side of the bed, and peels back the sheets. They both get it and face each other. "Are you nervous?"

"A little, but I trust you."

Santana kiss Brittany and brushes her hair behind her ear. "You don't need to be nervous, I promise." She shifts her body to lie on top of Brittany, and deepens the kiss. "I'll take care of you."

"Take off my underwear," Brittany asks, and Santana gladly complies bringing her hand underneath the covers. Brittany shimmies out of them, and Santana takes off her own.

Brittany grabs Santana's face and grazes her tongue over her lips. She brings her hands across Santana's back and down to grab her ass. Santana moans into her mouth and grabs Brittany's breast. Her hand wanders lower and lower. She breaks from the kiss and looks Brittany in the eye. She nods in response, and Santana brings her fingers through her folds.

"You're already wet," Santana husks. She rubs Brittany's clit in circles and teases her entrance.

"Yes, right there. Oh my god," Brittany moans with her head back against the pillow. Santana sucks on her neck and brings her fingers up to her mouth. Brittany watches as she sucks them into her mouth.

"So good," Santana brings her hand back under the covers and pushes one finger into Brittany.

"Uhhhh!"

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, more!"

Santana smiles into her neck and adds a finger, pumping in and out slowly.

"You feel so good! Don't stop!"

Santana continues pumping faster and licks a path up to Brittany's ear, sucking on her earlobe. "You're so tight, Brittany." Santana curls her fingers inwards.

"Oh, fuck!" Brittany wraps her arms around Santana's neck and her hips rise.

Santana brings one leg in between Brittany's and starts rubbing herself on her thigh. "Mmmm, Britt!"

"Don't stop! Don't, fuck!" Brittany pushes Santana's ass down onto her thigh, speeding up her thrusts. "Ohh, I'm close!"

"Me too," Santana's arm starts to strain as she brings her thumb up to rub Brittany's clit. She rests her forehead against Brittany's and looks into her eyes. "Come for me."

Brittany moans and brings Santana's lips to hers. "Mmm, San!" Brittany's hips speed up as she reaches her release. Santana keeps her arm pumping while she climaxes against Brittany's leg. Their bodies go still and they relax against each other.

"Oh my god," Brittany breathes out. "Santana."

"Was that okay?" Santana asks while kissing across her cheek.

"So much more than okay. San, that was amazing. Thank you." Brittany rakes her hands through Santana's hair.

"You're so welcome," Santana kisses her on the nose and falls back onto the bed next to Brittany. "Go to sleep, Britt."

Brittany turns into Santana, burying her face into the girl's neck. "Let's do that again soon, okay?"

Santana laughs, "Sure thing, Britt." She reaches behind her to turn off the light, and the two girls fall asleep wrapped in each other's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter. I wanted to split the part I'm working on into 2 shorter chapters as opposed to 1 long one. I'll try to get the next part up soon! Thanks for reading and for the nice messages!**

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"Mmmm, noooo. Sleep," Brittany stirs. She feels Santana nestled behind her so she reaches her arm back to bring Santana's hand around her middle.

"We should get up," Santana says before dropping kisses down Brittany's neck.

"Let's just stay here in bed." Brittany turns over to face Santana and brings her lips to her bare chest.

"But I have plans for us, Britt." Santana turns off the alarm on her phone.

"Mm, what kind of plans?" Brittany responds as her hands disappear underneath the covers.

Santana groans and wraps her arms around Brittany's neck. "Britt, what are you doing," she laughs.

"Maybe I have some plans too."

"What might those be?"

Brittany licks up Santana's neck and moves her hand down her stomach. "For starters, I need to take a shower." She kisses up her jaw until she reaches her mouth. "I think maybe you do too." They share a hungry kiss, and Brittany pulls away leaving Santana flustered. Britt pulls back the covers and stands up out of bed.

Santana watches her bare backside as she walks towards the bathroom. "I'll uh; I'll just…wait here."

Brittany opens the door to the bathroom and turns back to Santana. "You know, we are in the middle of the desert. It would be irresponsible of us to waste water."

Santana's eyes pop out of her head. "Totally irresponsible," she jumps out of bed and follows Brittany into the shower.

Brittany turns on the tap, putting her hand underneath to test the temperature. Santana picks up the hotel shampoo and body wash from the sink and places them on the edge of the tub. She sees Brittany leaning over and sidles up behind her to kiss her back.

"Perfect," Brittany pulls on the lever and water comes streaming out of the showerhead.

They step inside, and Santana opens the tiny bottle of shampoo. "Turn around," she says while spreading the shampoo over her hands. Brittany tilts her head back to wet her hair, and then turns her back to Santana.

"I love your hair," Santana runs her fingers through the blonde tresses. "And your neck," she continues lathering her hair while she places a kiss to her neck. Brittany reaches her arm behind her to cradle Santana's head. "And your back. How did I get so lucky?"

Brittany turns around, letting the water rinse her hair, and takes Santana's hand to her mouth. She places a kiss to her palm. "You didn't, I did."

Santana smiles and plants a quick kiss to her lips. "Speaking of luck, you haven't heard my plan yet," Santana starts washing her own hair.

"And what might that be?"

"One more stop before Los Angeles….Vegas."

"Oh my, yes! You're a genius!" Brittany thrusts forward to kiss Santana, nearly knocking her against the shower wall.

"So, I take it that's a yes then."

"Yes, I've always wanted to go there. It looks so much fun," Brittany says before attacking her lips again. "I'm so glad you're with me. I would never have taken the time to see all these places with anyone else."

Santana rubs her hands over Brittany's wet shoulders and down her back. "Me too, Britt."

"First, we need to finish my plan," Brittany smiles and reaches for the body wash. "Let's put this to use," she wriggles her eyebrows.

"My god, Brittany. I've created a monster."

Two rounds later, Santana shuts off the water and steps out of the shower. She grabs a bath towel and turns to Brittany. She wraps it around the girl's back and over her shoulders, and then kisses her on the forehead. "I think that defeated the purpose of conserving water."

"Oops," Brittany laughs.

Santana wraps herself in a towel and starts doing her hair in the mirror. "So what should we do first in Vegas?"

"Oh, I want to see the dancing water fountain thingy," Brittany says while rubbing lotion onto her arms and legs.

"In front of the Bellagio?"

"Yea, that thing."

"Okay, Britt, what else?"

"I don't know, I mean we could just go to dinner and walk around looking at the lights."

Santana puts some toothpaste on her brush and turns around to lean against the sink, facing Brittany sitting on the edge of the tub. "Are you sure there's nothing else you want to experience in Las Vegas?"

"I guess I could gamble with a few dollars," Brittany shrugs. Santana continues to stare her down. "What? Am I missing something?"

"Yes, Britt."

Brittany takes a moment to think, looking up at the ceiling. "Oh!"

"Yes," Santana nods.

"You want to get a hooker?"

Santana spits out the toothpaste in her mouth. "What!? No, Britt, that's not what I was referring to." She wipes her mouth. "I just meant a strip club."

"Oh, is that something you want to do?"

"Well, I figured since you have been coming to terms with your sexuality, maybe that's something you would want to experience. Plus it might be fun!"

"Why go see other girls take off their clothes when I can just watch you take off your clothes," Brittany responds.

"But don't you want to just see what it's like? We can always leave if you don't like it."

"Hmmm, okay. We can give it a shot," Brittany stands up and walks towards the door. "I'm going to get changed and then go pick us up some breakfast, alright?"

"Sounds good."

Once she steps out of the lobby of the hotel, Brittany takes her phone from her pocket and dials.

'Hey, Britt!'

'Hi, Rach. How's it going out there? I didn't wake you did I?'

'No, I've been up since 5. Where are you now?'

'We're someplace near the Grand Canyon. We should be in Cali soon!' Brittany crosses the street and walks into the mini-mart.

'Why are you near the Grand Canyon? Isn't that kind of out of the way?'

'Yea, well, that's something I have yet to mention to you. And please don't scream into the phone when I do.'

'I promise. Spill.'

'Santana and I hooked up.'

'AHHH!'

Brittany winces and pulls the phone away from her ear. 'You promised, Rach.'

'I'm sorry, this is just so exciting! So was it just a one-time thing, or do you both really like each other?'

'I think we both really like each other, and even though it all happened so fast, I think we're going to try to make it work in LA.' Britt juggles her phone between her shoulder and ear while trying to pour coffee.

'Wow, I'm so happy for you, Britt. Where is she going to be living when she gets here?'

'I'm not sure where, she just said it was her cousin's place. But he sounds pretty shady, and I don't think really she wants to stay there.'

'Well, you know I was just talking with a girl, Sarah, down the hall. Supposedly, her roommate is like a meth addict. Like, straight out of Breaking Bad except she's not entertaining, she's just bat-shit crazy. So Sarah's trying to get her kicked out of the apartment. If she does, that room will be open. I can talk to her if you want.'

'Hmm, well what's the rent for that apartment? I'm not sure if, you know, Santana could afford it.'

'I'll ask and get back to you, okay?'

'Thanks, Rach.' Brittany grabs a couple pre-packed muffins and goes up to the counter. 'I'll talk to you soon.'

'Bye, Britt. And tell Santana I will kindly kick her in the teeth if she messes with you. Bye!'

Brittany reaches into her bag for a few bills and sees an envelope tucked inside.

"That'll be $7.79."

"Oh, sorry, there you go. Keep the change." Brittany takes the bag and coffee tray and walks outside. She sits on a bench and opens the envelope. Inside is a check written out to Brittany Pierce for $250, signed _Santana Lopez._ It was the check she had mentioned earlier in the trip. Brittany had completely forgotten along the way about the main purpose of the ride-share. She didn't care about splitting the gas fare anymore, and figures there would be a far better use for the money. Brittany looks up and down the street and spots a branch of her bank.

Meanwhile, Santana finishes getting dressed and packing up her belongings. She turns on the television, surfing for something worthwhile. The door clicks open and Brittany returns with the breakfast goodies.

"Hey! They didn't have much really. It was these muffins or day-old burritos."

"Anything would have been fine, Britt," Santana takes a sip of the coffee and sits on the bed. "While you were gone I googled hotels on my phone. I didn't know where you wanted to stay. There are the main places on the strip, but we can totally stay in a Days-Inn or something a few blocks away."

"No way, we have to stay in one of the fun ones!"

"If you're sure. You know I would be totally fine with anything."

"I know, think of this as my special treat for you. When is your birthday?" Brittany takes the coffee from Santana's hand and places it on the table.

"March 3rd. Why?"

Brittany sits on Santana's lap sideways and puts her arms around her neck. "So just think of tonight as a really early birthday present." She delicately kisses Santana's forehead. "So what hotels did you find?"

"There's the Venetian….the Mirage….Caesar's Palace…New York, New York…"

"No, no, no. We just got out of there. We don't need to go back."

"Good point," Santana nods. "Planet Hollywood….Paris…ummm what else…."

"Ooh, Paris sounds amazing. Let's go there!"

"Okay, let's see if I can book a room on my phone."

"Awesome," Brittany hops off her lap and continues eating breakfast.

An hour later they are back on the highway, headed through the desert. Santana decided to give Brittany a break from driving, which made her quite thankful. She promised to repay Santana later tonight. As Britt sits in the front seat, she feels her pocket vibrate. She opens the text from Rachel, which reads, 'Saw Sarah at gym, roommate will be out by end of the month, $700- one year lease.'

"Who's that?"

"Oh, it's Rachel. She told me to tell you that she will physically harm you if you mess with me."

"She said that?"

"Well, not in those exact words, but yes."

Santana leans over to grab Brittany's left hand. "Tell her that I'll try my absolute best."

Brittany smiles and starts typing a reply message to Rachel. 'Ok, I'll ask San later- I've got a plan.' She turns to Santana while bringing her hand to her lips to kiss it. "How much longer until we get there?"

"It should be about four more hours. Take a nap if you'd like, it might be a long night ahead of us."

"Oh, really?" Brittany grins.

"Yup," Santana states confidently.

"Well now I'm too excited to sleep, San."

"Just lean your head against the window, and I'll sing to you to sleep."

"I'll try," Brittany takes off her sweatshirt, balls it up, and puts it between her head and the window. "See you in Las Vegas."

Santana puts her hand on Brittany's knee and rubs small circles until she dozes off.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took an extra day. Life has been a handful. I'm still astonished by how many people are reading this thing, I started it just to see if I could do it, so any positive reaction at all is crazy to me. So thank you so much for the nice reviews and messages!**

"Britt-Britt," Santana nudges the girl's leg. "Hey," she raises her voice a bit louder, and all Brittany does is nuzzle her face farther into her sweatshirt. Santana brushes her hand over Brittany's cheek, attempting to waken her.

Brittany blinks her eyes and lifts her head from the window. "Hey," she smiles, rubbing at her eyelids. "How long did I sleep for?"

"A long time, we're almost there," Santana points into the distance, showing Brittany downtown Las Vegas. "I didn't know you snored until now."

"What? I do NOT snore."

"Keep telling yourself that, Britt. But my god, how have I slept through it these last few nights," Santana laughs.

"Don't make fun of me," she pouts. "You're the one who talks in your sleep. That's weirder."

"I'm sorry," Santana reaches for her hand. "Listen, Britt, while I was driving, I was thinking…I know I just kind of sprang this idea on you, and you've been so nice in paying for the hotel rooms. So I just don't want you to feel like you have to say yes to all this. We can cancel the reservation at Paris and just stay in a fleabag on the outskirts and go to the $10 all you can eat buffet or something."

"No, Santana, I told you tonight is your birthday present."

"I know you did, but I still feel bad that all I have been able to contribute to is the gas money. You got the check right? I put it in your bag."

"Yes, I found it this morning. Look, San, you have nothing to feel bad about. I told you, I feel so lucky that it was you that answered my ride-share post. I don't care about anything else. So let's just have fun okay?"

Santana lets out a breath and smiles. "Okay, but I plan on paying you back someday, you know?"

Brittany nods, "Okay, now about the check."

"What, was it not enough?"

"Relax, San," Brittany says. "I just had an idea of what we could do with it."

"Let me guess, exchange it for single dollar bills?"

Brittany laughs and turns a bright red. "No! I mean not that I wouldn't be a good tipper, but... I think we should put it all on roulette."

"What? You're crazy, Britt you could use that money on much better things. Won't you need to buy stuff for your apartment?"

"Think about it though, we can play a bunch of numbers and we're bound to win something. And it's Vegas. Come on!"

Santana shrugs, "Your call, Britt."

"Awesome!" she leans across the console to give Santana a kiss on the cheek.

They pull of the highway, make a few turns, and suddenly they are on the Vegas Strip. "Look, San, a pirate ship!"

"I would totally be a hot-ass pirate. Better than Keira Knightley."

"I definitely want to see that someday," Brittany eyes Santana up and down.

They drive past, looking at all the people walking down the strip. There are mostly middle-aged couples taking pictures and drunk twenty-something's taking advantage of the consumption of liquor being allowed outdoors.

"Looks like we're here," Santana points to the Eiffel Tower replica.

"There's a restaurant beneath it, want to eat there later?"

"Anything you want, Britt."

"It looks super romantic! That doesn't scare you off does it?"

Santana shakes her head while pulling the car and trailer into the parking area. "It'll be like our first date. I just wish I had thought to ask you on a date first." She puts the car in park and shuts off the engine.

"So ask me."

"What?"

"Ask me on a date," Brittany responds cheerfully.

Santana smiles and turns to face Brittany in her seat. "Brittany Pierce," she takes hold of her hands. "Will you go on a date with me tonight?"

"Yes," Brittany giggles and leans forward to plant a wet kiss on Santana's lips. "Now let's go check in and jump on the bed."

The two walk hand-in-hand up to the counter with a bounce in their step. Brittany drops her bag to the ground and gets the attention of the man behind the desk.

"Welcome to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. How may I help you two?"

"Reservation for Pierce," Brittany says, and the man starts typing away at the computer. Brittany brings Santana's hand to her lips, kissing the back of it.

"Yes, I have one Red Room Premier suite, for one night- non-smoking for you, Miss Pierce. Your room will be #2037. If I could just swipe your credit card, we'll be all set."

"Here you go," Brittany hands it over and turns to Santana. "It smells amazing in there, like the air is different."

"They pump in oxygen so that you'll be more awake and want to stay in here gambling."

"Genius," Brittany nods. "I totally feel awesome right now."

"Thank you, Miss Pierce. The elevators are just over here to your right. If you need anything at all, just dial 0 on your hotel room phone."

"Thanks!" Brittany grabs the key and the two girls head up to their room.

"Oh. My. God. This is amazing, Britt," Santana drops her back and walks towards the large bed with white and red sheets in the middle of the room. Through the window they can see the faux-Eiffel Tower, and in front of the window sits a chez lounge.

"I know…I so plan on destroying that bed tonight."

"Jesus, Britt!"

"Sorry, it's true," Brittany walks past Santana, giving her a quick squeeze on the butt. "Let's get changed, open that mini-bar over there, and go eat."

"Okay, okay," Santana takes a top and black skinny jeans into the bathroom.

"You can change in front of me. I've already seen you naked."

Santana pops head out from the bathroom, "Yes and you will again in the future."

Brittany swaps her shorts for a pair of white jeans and a turquoise tank top. She goes over to the mirror on the wall next to closet and brushes her hair. "Santana, what kind of drink do you want?"

"Something strong, I guess," Santana responds, her voice muffled through the bathroom door.

Brittany sets down her brush and kneels in front of the mini bar. "Let's see, white wine, Heineken, water, Jose Cuervo! Bingo, we have a winner." She grabs two and sets them down on the bed.

Santana emerges from the bathroom, her hair pulled up into a coifed, yet messy bun. "You look amazing, Brittany."

"You too, come here," Brittany holds out her hands. Santana grabs them as the girl sits them down on the bed. Brittany gives her a mischievous smile and leans in for a kiss. Santana is caught by surprise and moans into her mouth. Brittany runs her hand over her thigh and nudges the girl to lie down on the bed. "I know we don't have all the ingredients, but pull your shirt up."

Santana quirks an eyebrow while leaning on her forearms. She sees Brittany take one of the mini bottles and unscrew the cap. "Oh, sheer genius, Britt." She leans back and lifts her shirt up to her bra.

"We don't have any salt or limes, but I figured it would still be fun to lick your abs before taking the shot." Brittany leans down and touches her tongue to the spot just below Santana's belly-button. She swipes it higher and higher, pausing to suck on the caramel skin, until she reaches the front-clasp of Santana's bra. She stands back up and knocks back the tequila. "Your turn."

Santana pulls down her shirt and stands. "Do I get to choose where I can lick you?"

"Sure," Brittany lies down.

"Okay, then. Turn your head to the side."

Brittany obliges and brushes her hair from her neck. Santana kneels on the bed and straddles her thighs. She sends a wink to Brittany before bringing her face down to the girl's cleavage. Santana drags her tongue from deep in between her breasts and up to Brittany's neck. She stays in the spot to lightly suck on her pulse point. "Mmmm, Santana." Brittany brings her hands behind Santana to squeeze her butt.

"Later, Britt," Santana moves back onto her knees and hops off the bed. She guzzles down the shot and throws the bottle into the trash. "Let's go eat!"

A flustered Brittany sits up and fixes her hair.

They stand in line at Mon Ami Gabi, watching and listening to all the people playing the video slot machines across the way. Santana wraps her arm around Brittany's and leans her head on her shoulder. Santana notices the older couple in front of them is standing in the same position. She smiles and basks in the feeling that she hadn't had in years. She doesn't know why, but she trusts Brittany more than anyone she's met in a long time. In just a few days and a couple thousand miles, she feels more comfortable with her than anyone in her life for the past six years.

The line moves forward and the elder couple is seated. The hostess eyes the two of them and grabs two menus. "Two?"

"Yes, please," Brittany answers. They follow the woman into the front dining room, a semi-circle room with windows instead of a wall to watch the passers-by on the strip. They are sat next to the window and start to peruse their menus.

"What are you getting to drink?"

"I think I'm going to get the chardonnay, what about you?"

"I don't know, what do you think?"

"I think you should get whatever you want, Birthday-in-like-eight-months Girl."

"I'll have the chardonnay too then. You've got good taste….clearly," Santana points to herself.

Brittany reaches across the table, and Santana covers her hand with her own. "This is true."

"So, when we get to Los Angeles, we're going to have to figure out the quickest route between our places."

"Where is your cousin's place, anyways?"

"It's somewhere near USC. Where's yours?"

"It's in Hollywood."

"Well, that's not the shortest bus ride, but it will be worth it to see you," Santana rubs her thumb across Brittany's hand.

"I can drive to your place too. But, San, do you really want to stay there? You don't sound terribly thrilled about it."

"Well, no, of course not. I would love to have my own room, but at least this way I can save up and maybe in a couple months I can find someplace. Hopefully close to you."

"I think you can do it. You'll play one open mic, and there's no way you won't book a gig." Brittany considers asking Santana is she would be interested in the new opening in the apartment down the hall, but hesitates and takes a sip of water.

"Thanks, Britt."

After their meal of mussels and grilled salmon salad with a couple glasses of wine, they head out the door and into the casino. "Okay where's the roulette?" Brittany says determined.

"Slow down, Britt. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yup…..there they are!" Brittany reaches into her bag and pulls out the envelope of cash. "We need 5 numbers. I've already thought of 29 and 3, so you need to pick three more numbers."

"Why those?"

"Well, 29 was the day that we met, and 3 is your birthday."

"Aw, Britt. Now you raised the bar, so let me think," Santana pauses while Brittany watches. "10…25...and 5."

"And what do those stand for?

"10 is how many states we've passed through, 25 is how old we both are, and 5 is how many minutes it took me to fall for you."

Brittany looks at Santana with the biggest of grins and a slight tear in her eye. She brings her arms over her shoulders and kisses her. "Me too."

"Let's do this then."

Brittany steps up to the table, splits the money and bets $50 on each number.

"All bets are in!" shouts the dealer. He spins the wheel and drops the ball. Brittany watches it spin round and round. Santana grabs her hand and squeezes it tight between them.

"No biggie if you don't win, Britt. It's still fun to play, right?"

Brittany turns to Santana with a nervous expression and quickly smiles, "Right, yea. It's all fun."

The wheel starts to slow down, and the ball starts popping from number to number. Brittany squeezes a little righter.

The ball stops, and they lean forward to see the number.

"Red 5!" the dealer announces.

"Britt! You won!" Santana grabs her and hugs around her waist.

"Oh my gosh, we won. We actually won."

"No, Britt, you won."

"Oh, right. It just… it feels like _we_ won."

Santana pulls her forward to the edge of the table and hands her the winnings- $1750. "So what are you going to do with it? Gamble some more?"

"No way, I don't think I can get that lucky again. Plus, I think I know how I want to use it."

"How?"

"It's a secret. I'll tell you later."

"I still can't believe you won. We should go celebrate."

"What do you want to do?"

Santana grasps Brittany's arms and leads her towards the exit. She leans in close to her ear. "It's time for us to go see some naked ladies."

The girls show their IDs to the bouncer and are shown into the club. Brittany looks around in awe and embarrassment at the half naked women dancing on stage and serving drinks.

"Wow."

"I know right? This place actually looks pretty decent, and not too herpes-y," Santana spots a table for them to sit at.

"This still feels kind of weird though. I've only ever seen one two naked women before; you and a really gross lady in the gym locker room this one time.

"You don't have to get a lap dance. We can just get a drink and leave."

"No, I want to buy you one. So, how do I do this? Do I just walk up to one of them? Or do we wait for someone to walk up to us? Or is there some secret signal that everyone knows about except for me?"

"Easy, Britt. Look, there's a girl right there," Santana points to a blonde walking towards them.

Brittany clears her throat and raises her hand. Santana laughs at Brittany acting like she's answering a question in Spanish class.

"Hi, Ma'am. I would like to buy my girlf-um my friend here a lap dance, please."

"Sure thing, Sweetie. $30."

Brittany hands over the money and watches as the girl straddles Santana. She starts to slowly grind into Santana's lap, shaking her bare breasts in her face. Santana keeps her hands to the side and looks up at the girl. Brittany watches as Santana smiles slightly. The girl drops her hand behind Santana's head and combs her hand through her hair. Brittany feels her face start to flush, not with embarrassment, but with anger. As the girl leans in to touch her chest to Santana's face, Brittany jumps out of her chair.

"Okay! That's enough! Thank you, nice dancer lady, but we'll be leaving now." Brittany grabs Santana's hand and the girl steps off her lap looking bewildered. "Have a nice night!"

"Brittany? What's going on? I'm sorry I thought you wanted me to…"

Brittany keeps on walking with Santana in tow. "I thought I did, but nope. I don't like other girls doing those things to you. So now, we're going back to the room and only I will be doing ANY of those kinds of things to you."

"Oh my god, Brittany. You are so fucking sexy right now."

"Shh! Stop talking, you're in a time-out." Brittany hits the button for the elevator. "You don't get to speak until I tell you."

They walk into the elevator and Santana attempts to stop a giggle from escaping her mouth.

Brittany throws the hotel room door open, pulling Santana by her hand. "Sit down on the bed." Santana obeys while Brittany takes off her pants and tank top. Santana leans back on her forearms and watches her undress. The blonde slowly walks over and kneels over Santana with a leg on each side. She reaches behind herself to unhook her bra and slowly lets it drop into Santana's lap. The girl smiles up at her and reaches out to touch Brittany's breasts.

"Not yet," Brittany stops her hands. She grabs each one and forces them over Santana's head, pushing her back against the bed. Slowly, Brittany starts to grind her hips, letting her breasts graze over Santana's clothed ones. "Only me."

Santana nods and closes her eyes in pleasure. Brittany leans down and starts to suck on her neck, still holding Santana's hands by the wrist. Her hips start moving faster and she switches to the other side of Santana's neck. Brittany takes her right hand away, and pulls up on Santana's shirt, rubbing across her stomach. She pulls her lips away with a pop and scoots forward, placing her breasts directly in Santana's face. "Only mine." She gestures forward and Santana takes the hint. She starts sucking on her right nipple with gentle pressure and massages the left. Brittany grabs the back of her head, pulling her closer. "Yesss. Now take off your clothes." Brittany stands up and waits for Santana to undress, revealing tiny black boy shorts. "Those need to go too." Santana smiles and quickly steps out of them.

"Now get back on the bed…on your stomach."

Santana climbs up and lays her head on the pillow. Brittany follows and kneels over Santana's back. She starts kissing down her back while rubbing the side of her ribs. Santana starts thrusting her hips into the bed. "Spread your legs." Brittany leans on her side, bringing her right hand down towards Santana's center. She leaves wet kisses on her neck and starts rubbing her clit from behind. "You can speak now," she whispers into her ear.

"Fuck, Britt! Don't stop," Santana moans.

"You like that?"

"Yes, so fucking much!"

Brittany spreads Santana's wetness towards her opening and enters her with two fingers. She slowly thrusts in and out while Santana whimpers into the pillow.

"Faster, Britt."

She pumps her arm faster and adds a third finger. Brittany gets leverage over Santana's back and shoves her left hand in between Santana and the bed to rub her clit. The added hand pushes Santana closer to the edge.

"I'm so close, Britt! Fuck, right there! Ahhhh," her hips thrust one last time into the bed and her whole body freezes. "Shit, oh my god. Brittany," she flips over onto her back as Brittany pulls her fingers out.

"You're mine now, okay?" Brittany asks.

Santana nods and leans up to kiss Brittany. "So can I call you my girlfriend?"

"Yes, yes, yes," she plants kisses all over the girl's face.

"Awesome," Santana flips Brittany over to top her. "My turn." She slowly starts kissing her way down Brittany's stomach. "Can I?"

"You mean….?"

"I want to go down on you." Santana peers up through hooded eyes.

Brittany gulps and nods. "I want that, yes."

Santana smiles and continues kissing down until she reaches tiny hairs above Brittany's clit. She places a delicate kiss, looks up one last time, and swipes her tongue over the length of the lips. Brittany moans and drops her head back into the pillow.

"Oh my, fuck!"

Santana sucks lightly on her clit and brings her hand up to massage around her opening. She keeps her mouth moving around the sensitive nub while entering Brittany with one finger. The added sensation makes Brittany shudder, and Santana starts thrusting faster.

"Santana, uhhh!"

She takes her hand away and replaces it with her tongue, reaching as far as she can until her nose bumps into her clit. Santana brings her hand around Brittany's hip to keep her still, and takes her thumb to her clit. She continues rubbing while her tongue stretches her.

"I'm gonna…..yea, right there! Oh, Sannnnnn," Brittany's hips still as her walls contract and she grabs at Santana's hair to keep her close. "That was amazing!" she breathes out.

"You taste so fucking good, Brittany," Santana climbs up her body and lies down.

Brittany laughs and pulls her down for a passionate kiss. "I'm sorry for getting angry earlier. I wasn't really mad."

"I know, but it's okay. I'm so glad you did," Santana rolls over to pull the covers around them both. She tucks Brittany into her side and kisses her temple.

"That really wore me out."

"Me too."

"I want to do that to you, too, but I might need a few minutes."

"We've got time, Britt."

Brittany snuggles deeper into Santana with her arm around her bare waist. The two girls doze off breathing in each other's scent.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Short fluff/set-up chapter this time. I'm not sure if I am going to have just one more chapter after this, or start a sequel to it. My plan was to have this fic end when they get to LA, but if there's enough interest I will continue. Let me know what you think, or what you would want to see in a sequel.**

**Naynay1963- Have faith in Brittana! I'm not interested in writing a third party to mess with them, so have no fear!**

**Ivy- "700-one year lease" just meant 700 per month with a one year lease. Also, I do live in LA, and I wish I could only pay $500 for my room. Sweet jesus, where are these cheap apartments you speak of?**

Sunlight peeks through the curtains, slowly waking Brittany up. She is curled next to Santana with her arm around her waist. She watches her sleep soundly for a few moments. Santana's eyelids flutter from dreaming. Her chest moves up and down steadily. Brittany gets an idea. She has never done this before, but she thinks this is a fantastic time to start.

She stealthily takes her head off of Santana's shoulder, careful not to wake her. She shimmies down under the covers and places herself in between Santana's legs. Her face rests just above the girl's center. Brittany breathes warm air onto the area and slowly starts kissing Santana's clit. There is no movement from the girl, so Brittany starts licking up and down. She takes her hand and softly rubs her thigh while beginning to suck with light pressure on her clit.

"Uhh," Brittany hears a muffled grunt through the covers. She places more pressure with her tongue and starts flicking it back and forth. Santana's legs start to close around Brittany's head.

"Mmm, what?" Santana wakes fully and drops her hands to grab the covers. Her hips thrust towards Brittany's face. "Shit! Brittany, don't stop!"

She holds Santana down at the hips and sucks at her clit while humming.

"Keep doing that! Fuck, I'm gonna come," Santana thrusts her hips one last time and climaxes into Brittany's mouth. Brittany starts kissing up Santana's stomach until her head pops out from underneath the covers. Santana is breathing heavily with her head back in pillow. Her hair is messily strewn across her face. "Oh my god, Brittany. You would make a really great alarm clock."

"Was it okay?"

Santana pulls her up to lie face to face. "It was so good that I don't believe you have never done it before." She kisses Brittany's lips and swipes her tongue over her lips. Brittany opens her mouth and they share lazy kisses for minutes until they have to get up and start the day.

Santana heads into the shower, leaving Brittany alone in bed. She reaches for her phone on the side table and sees a new text from Rachel.

'Need answer about room by tomorrow-or it will be shown to others'

Brittany sighs and starts mentally planning how she will ask Santana. Should she just blurt it out? Or should she list off all the reasons why it would be good idea? While she mulls it over, she hears Santana shout her name from the shower.

"Britt!"

She sets her phone down and sits up out of bed. Still bare from the night before, Brittany pads across the room and opens the bathroom door. "Yea?"

Santana pulls the curtain back, "Could you pass me that bottle of conditioner?"

"Sure," Brittany grabs the tiny bottle from next to the sink and turns back around. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Santana reaches for the conditioner and grabs Brittany by the wrist. She pulls her close, signaling for her to hop into the shower.

"Oh!" Brittany steps over the ledge and closes the curtain.

"This might be our last chance to do this for a while," Santana pouts and pulls Brittany into her by the waist.

Brittany leans down and grabs her by the face, kissing her lips. Santana pushes her to the side against the wall. The water streams down their sides while they continue to make out. Santana brings her hand down Brittany's side, rubbing over her ribs and hipbone. She pulls her thigh up and around her waist.

"Keep that there," Santana husks.

She brings her left hand in between their bodies, and starts stroking up and down Brittany's center. "Fuck, San," Brittany drops her head onto Santana's shoulder. She wraps her arms around her neck and squeezes her leg around Santana's waist. "In," she gasps.

Santana rubs Brittany's clit one last time before thrusting two fingers inside her. "Uh, yes!" She continues pumping in and out while sucking on Brittany's neck, attempting to leave a mark. "Harder, San."

"Like that?"

Brittany nods, "Yes, yes, yes!" The water trails down their bodies, splashing with the movement of Santana's arm.

"Come for me, Britt," she whispers into her ear.

With one last thrust and rub of Santana's thumb on her clit, Brittany comes onto her hand. She lifts her head off Santana's shoulder to kiss her cheek. "San, that felt so good."

"Good," Santana laughs. "Maybe you could pay me back by washing my hair for me?"

Brittany turns her back into the stream of water and grabs the conditioner. "This doesn't seem like a fair trade."

"Mmm, don't care. This feels awesome," Santana says leaning her head back into Brittany's hands.

"You just want my hands all over you."

"Always."

"Britt, have you seen my bra?" Santana shouts from next to the bed. She peels back the covers in search of the clothing.

"I think I threw it last night. It's probably in the corner," Brittany responds while packing away the tiny bottles of shampoo in the bathroom.

Santana turns to the corner and looks behind the chair. "Found it! 5 minutes until checkout. Do you have everything?"

"Yup," Brittany walks out and grabs her bag. "I wish we could stay longer," she pouts.

Santana closes her bag, throws it over her shoulder, and goes to Brittany. She wraps her in a hug and leans in to her ear. "Me too, I had so much fun with you. Thank you for my birthday present."

"You're welcome…girlfriend," Brittany takes her off of Santana's shoulder to face her and kisses her lips. "Let's go, LA is waiting."

Somewhere along the 15 in the Mojave Desert, Brittany starts to work up the courage to ask Santana the question that has been burning on her mind. She is afraid of the obvious response of "I can't take your money". She starts to nervously drum the steering wheel with her fingers. Santana is filing her fingernails next to her, unaware of Brittany's current state of anxiety.

Brittany turns down the radio and clears her throat. "San?"

"Yea, babe?" She puts down the emery board and faces her.

Brittany is grinning back at her, "You called me babe. I love that."

Santana drops her head to place a kiss to Brittany's shoulder. "So what's up?"

"I uh, okay I have a question for you. Or maybe it's more like a proposition, I'm not sure."

"Okay, shoot."

"You're probably going to say no, but just hear me out. I know that you don't really want to stay with your cousin, but with it being free and all, I see how it is the obvious choice."

"Well, yea I guess. I mean, it won't be fun to sleep on a couch and share a bathroom with his disgusting ass, but I don't have a job yet. So it will have to do until I get some money saved up."

"I understand, but what if you didn't have to wait?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rachel said there is a room open down the hall from ours, and I think you should take it."

"But how?" Santana looks to Brittany with a confused brow.

"There's a reason that I wanted to gamble with the money you gave me. If I won, then I wanted to give it to you. So that you could get started in LA with a room of your own. And we could live close to each other."

"Brittany, that's too much. I can't take that from you," she shakes her head.

"Listen, this is like an investment for me. It's like I'm paying a chunk of money now, instead of spending a lot more on gas money to drive back and forth to see you all the time."

"But, Brittany, what If I can't make enough to continue living there? Bartending will only get me so much."

"Santana, I have so much faith in you. Where's the girl I met in New York? She was so confident that she would become a star. She said she would book paying gigs in no time."

"I was just trying to impress you," Santana mumbles towards her lap.

"Have you heard yourself sing? I mean, really, have you recorded yourself? Santana, you are one of the best singers I have heard."

Santana turns shyly towards Brittany, "Really?"

"Totally. If I owned a label, I would sign you immediately."

"Thank you, Britt. I'm just scared."

"Why?"

"That I will fail. I'm afraid I'll end up stuck in the same rut I was in before in New York."

"I won't let you, I promise," Brittany takes her hand. "And think of how much fun we can have living in the same building."

Santana smiles and nods her head. "I suppose it would be fun to be able to knock on your door in the morning to bring you breakfast or sneak into your room late at night."

"So what do you say? Where am I going to be dropping you off?"

Santana brushes her fingers through her hair and lets out a deep breath. Brittany waits fretfully for a response. She keeps rubbing Santana's hand, willing an answer. Santana faces her.

"Our building."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I decided to just keep adding on to 'Ride-Share' instead of starting a sequel. So this is kind of like the start of 'Part II'. I may need to take a few days to figure out where I want to take it from here. I have a loose idea, but I want to map it all out. I'll try to keep up with posting every couple days after that. Thank you all again for following/favoriting/reviewing! **

"Yes!" Brittany takes a hand off the steering wheel to hug Santana.

"Britt! Watch the road!" Santana attempts to get the girl focused back on driving.

"Sorry!" she swerves back to the middle of the lane. "I'm just so excited for us."

"I still think you are crazy," Santana says. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"You're worth every dollar. I just can't go from constantly being a foot away from you to being miles away."

Santana turns her body to the left and rests her cheek against the headrest. "How are you real?"

Brittany scoffs into laughter.

"No, I mean it. I've never met anyone like you, Brittany. It's like I'm going to wake up any second now. I'll be back in New York, and I will answer a Craig's List ad. Except it will be some creepy forty-year old, and the entire trip across country will be uncomfortable and awkward. Every night will be spent dreading the morning. Then I will get to LA, and I will walk the streets and ride the buses and I may never meet you."

Brittany brings her hand to Santana's chin and rubs her thumb over her cheek. "You have nothing to worry about, but if you want me to pinch you I can do that."

Santana takes Brittany's hand off her cheek and cradles it in her lap. "Thank you so much, Britt. I'm going to spend forever making it up to you."

"Oh! I need to tell Rachel! Take my phone and type out a text for me."

Santana takes the phone from the cup holder. "You have to put in the password."

"It's 2187."

"What are you crazy!? You know that I'm going to mess with this now. I might change all of your contact names to cartoon characters."

"Ooh that would be fun! Then I would have to guess who's who, like a puzzle."

"What do you want me to type?"

"Say, 'She'll take it. We'll be there in 3ish hours.'"

Santana quickly types the message and hits send. "Done," she swipes at the screen and leans over towards Brittany.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh, stay still," Santana places her lips to Brittany's cheek and takes a picture. She looks at the screen, smiles, and taps at it a few times before placing the phone back.

"Ok, what else did you do to my phone?" Brittany grabs it and looks at the screen. The background is now the picture Santana just took of them. "Aw, San. I love it."

Santana looks over to Brittany and the smile on her face. "I love it too."

Miles and miles later, Brittany merges onto the 101 freeway. They finally made it to Los Angeles.

"Look, San, mountains! We live near mountains now, like actual nature!"

"Is that where the Hollywood sign is? I can't see that far."

"I'm sure we'll see it."

Santana looks out her passenger window while Brittany gets into the right lane. "I can't wait to get rid of this trailer. All it does is make me nervous."

"Chill, babe. I can help you relax later," Santana winks.

"Hmm, really? How about you help me unpack the trailer instead? Because either way I will be too tired for any of your _relaxation_ techniques."

"You won't have to move a muscle, I promise."

Brittany spots the exit and for the first time they are driving on the streets of Los Angeles.

"It's totally not like I expected."

Brittany frowns, "What do you mean?"

"No! I mean in a good way. The stuff you hear about LA on TV… I don't know, I just like it."

"I know what you mean. It's like… it's a city, but the buildings are short, so I don't feel claustrophobic or anything."

One left turn and twenty or so blocks later they pull onto Fuller Ave.

"It should be on the right on think. I really hope Rachel didn't forget to reserve the spots in front of the building today."

Brittany slows down as they look for their apartment. "There!"

Santana spots the brown five-story building and sees a brown-haired girl waving her hands maniacally. "Oh my," she laughs. "Is that her?"

"Rachel! She was probably sitting out here for the past hour waiting for us."

"And that's a normal thing to do?"

"You're going to love her," Brittany carefully pulls the car and trailer to the side of the street; thanking her lucky stars she didn't have to attempt to parallel park the monster. She hops out of the driver's seat and runs toward her roommate.

"Brittany!" Rachel squeals and hugs the tall blonde. "I'm so glad you made it here safe and sound."

Santana gets out of the car and leans against the door as she watches the girls reconnect.

"Me too, Rach. I can't believe we're finally here!" Brittany turns and sees Santana waiting. She motions for the girl to come closer. "Rachel, this is Santana."

"Holy crap," Rachel blurts out. "I mean…hi, I'm Rachel Berry."

"It's really nice to meet you," Santana shakes her hand. Rachel doesn't let go and continues to stare at her.

"Umm," Santana looks to Brittany and mouths, "What is happening?"

"Holy crap, Brittany. She's gorgeous! I'm sorry to be so forward, but if I were into the ladies I would be so jealous of Britt right now. I would probably even be planning some scheme to steal you away from her."

"Thanks, I guess," Santana laughs. "But you'd have to pry this girl from my cold, dead hands."

"So! I talked to Sarah and she's got the room emptied out. She's gone for a few days for work, but the manager has got all the stuff- key and whatnot."

"San, why don't you go take care of all the administrative stuff, and we'll start unloading."

"Okay," Santana stands on her tip-toes and kisses Brittany on the lips. "I'm sorry. Was that okay? I forgot you've never done that in front of a friend before."

Brittany's face is flushed. She shakes her head. "It's fine. It totally feels normal." She leans over Santana's shoulder to eye Rachel who is staring at them.

Rachel sees that she has been caught and tries to pretend she was looking at a bird in the sky.

"Nice try, Rach."

"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy for you, Britt! I will grab a couple things out of the car and let you two share this special moment in which you are starting a new chapter of life together," Rachel opens the back door and throws a duffle bag over her shoulder.

"You make it sound like we are actually moving in together or something," Brittany says.

"Close enough!" Rachel yells while walking towards the doors.

Brittany laughs nervously and looks to Santana who is blushing and staring at her feet. "She's just overly dramatic…about 97% of the time."

"She seems alright," Santana shrugs. "I'm glad to finally meet one of your friends," she gives Brittany a hug before walking towards the entrance. "I'll be back to help you in a bit, okay?"

"Yea," Brittany walks to the back of the trailer. "See you later."

While Brittany makes trip after trip up to their third floor apartment, Santana checks out her new place. It's modest and the living room is not overly decorated. There are picture frame collages, a gray couch against the wall, and an orange cat napping on a blanket in the corner.

"Sweet, she has a cat!" Santana creeps over to say hello to the little critter. "Hi, little guy," she puts her hand out towards his face. He sniffs it and goes back to sleeping. "Don't tell anyone that I love cats. It's a secret. I need to maintain my rep you know, and no offense, but I don't want to seem like a crazy, spinster." She pets him on the head and continues checking out the apartment. Santana walks down the short hallway to what must be her new room. It's completely empty apart from a ceiling fan.

"Well, this is homey. Maybe someday I can fill you with things, bedroom. Hopefully soon because my voice is echoing right now. Dear Jesus, I am talking to a room."

She shuts the door behind her and goes back down to the street to help unload everything. Brittany is leaning into the open trailer trying to pick up a large box.

"Nice ass," Santana says standing with her arms crossed enjoying the view.

Brittany lifts the box and turns around with a smirk. "That's so sweet, but can you help me with this here?"

"Sure," Santana runs over and grabs one side. "What the hell is in here? Are you planning to build a brick oven or something?"

"I wish. That would be awesome. I could cook you pizza all the time."

"Yea? Are you good at cooking?" The two enter the elevator and drop the box.

"Well, I don't really use recipes or anything, but I think I'm pretty good at improvising."

"You'll have to cook me dinner sometime. Or maybe breakfast?" Santana wiggles her eyebrows.

Brittany laughs and throws her arms around Santana's neck. She nudges her up against the elevator wall. "I would make you breakfast every day." She tilts her head to the side and kisses down Santana's face. "Eggs," she kisses her jaw. "Bacon," another kiss under her ear. "Pancakes," down her neck. "Freshly squeezed orange juice," Brittany starts sucking on her pulse point.

"Britt, the door's going to open any second. And you're making me have indecent thoughts about breakfast foods. It's confusing."

"I know what you mean," Brittany pulls away and grabs her side of the box. The door opens and they carry it down the hall to Brittany and Rachel's apartment.

Three hours later, the trailer is empty and ready to be dropped off at the nearest U-Haul location. Brittany leaves to return it, and Santana sets off to explore the neighborhood. Just a block away is Hollywood Boulevard. She decides to head down it in search of any 'Help Wanted' signs. Santana figured that if she wasn't going to live with her cousin, then there was no need to work at his club either. She hoped there would be something within walking distance from their apartment. A couple blocks later Santana crosses La Brea and when she reaches the sidewalk, she sees the stars in the cement. Everywhere people have their cameras titled at their feet or are crouching down to pose next to a famous name. She walks and walks and spots a storefront that is under construction. A woman is standing outside with a clipboard talking to a construction man. Through the window, Santana can see a bar amidst an empty room.

"Excuse me," Santana approaches the woman. "What kind of bar is going in here?"

The tall, brunette woman turns around, shielding her eyes from the low sun. "A piano bar. Kind of like the one on Selma, but bigger and better, hon."

"Are you hiring?"

"Maybe. You have any experience?"

"Oh, totally! I worked at a bar in New York. I'm also a singer if that helps."

"Follow me," she motions with her head and walks inside. She grabs two construction helmets and hands on to Santana. "Put this on."

Santana stares at it for a moment, smooths out her hair, and puts it on.

"Follow me. What's your name?"

"Santana."

"Santana, I'm Lauren. Fill out one of these applications for me. Can you play the piano?"

"I play the guitar, but I can always learn the piano. I'm a quick study."

"Nevermind. Here's what I'm thinking. Every Tuesday, I want to have an Acoustic Night. Not an open mic type deal, but with fresh local talent who haven't made it big yet. You know, the singer-songwriter types. I need someone young to find these people and book the sets."

Santana looks up from the paper. "That would be amazing. I'm totally in with the local LA scene. I could find tons of acts." She hopes Lauren doesn't see right through that lie.

"Great. That would also mean hosting the show as well. You should have no problem with that, you're a stunner. Are you an actor as well?"

"Oh no," Santana laughs nervously. "I'm just into music."

"Really? I would have bet money on it. Well I will look over this and give you a call once I make a final decision."

"Thank you so much, Lauren! It was nice meeting you." Santana shakes her hand and they walk towards the door. She takes off the hard-hat and waves goodbye.

Santana heads back towards the apartment, and pulls out her phone to call Brittany.

'Hey San! What's up? I just got back to the building, and I am dreading all this unpacking. Our living room is just boxes. I could make a box couch.'

"Aw, babe. I'll be back soon to help okay?"

'The good news is Rachel put my bed together for me.'

"How nice of her! Listen, you won't believe what just happened. I was just walking down the street and saw this *Beep-Beep*" Santana pulls the phone away from her ear and sees an incoming call. "Hold on, I'll call you back, okay?" She taps the screen. "Hello?"

'Santana?'

"Speaking."

'Hi, it's Lauren. Start looking for acts. We open in a month.'

"Are you serious?"

'Of course. It's part-time so it will be hourly pay. Can you also work the bar a couple nights a week?'

"Absolutely. I make a mean Mojito."

'Fantastic, I'll be in touch.'

"Thanks, Lauren. Bye."

Santana practically skips her way home and runs up the stairs. She reaches Brittany's door and knocks. She waits not even three seconds, and Brittany throws the door open.

"Hey neighbor," Santana grins. "Do you happen to have a bed I could borrow tonight?"

Brittany laughs and pulls Santana by the arm into the apartment. "I think I have one of those around here somewhere."

Santana grabs her by the neck and places an adoring kiss to her lips. "I should just never get a bed then."

"Where did you go earlier?"

"Oh, you know just exploring the neighborhood and getting a job."

"What?!" Brittany pulls her face away from Santana's. "That's amazing! Where is it?"

Santana tells all about the new job as Brittany watches her lovingly. "I'm so happy for you, Santana. You're going to be so awesome at it too."

"Thanks, Britt," Santana grabs her waist. "How about we unpack for a bit, and I take you out to dinner for a change." She kisses her on the cheek and holds her hands between them.

"Sounds perfect."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry this took extra time (Naya's superbowl commercial kind of sidetracked me today). Any suggestions of stuff you want to see from this part II are very welcome! I'll try to fit anything in where I can. Thanks for reading everyone! (Bonus points if any LA people can guess the two restaurants referenced during this chapter! lol)**

*Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock*

"Make it stop, Britt," San snuggles into her side.

"It's just Rachel," Brittany sighs into Santana's forehead. "Ignore her."

*Knock-Knock* "Brittany? Are you up? I'm going to breakfast if you want to join?"

Santana's eyes shoot open. "Food? Come on, Britt. Let's go," she whispers.

"What happened to ignoring her and keeping on cuddling?"

Santana is in clear dilemma over which prospect sounds better at the moment. "Well, we could sit on the same side and cuddle while eating?"

"You are a genius," Brittany places a kiss to Santana's temple and turns to the door. "We'll be right out!"

"We'll?" says the muffled voice from behind the door.

"Duh, Rachel. Think about it!"

Santana laughs into the covers.

"Oh! Good morning, Santana!"

"Hi, Rachel. Just give us a second to get ready."

"Sure thing, you two!"

Santana and Brittany roll out of bed in their underwear. They walk to the end of the bed, meeting in the middle, for a proper good morning kiss.

"Mmm, hi," Santana slurs with her arms over Brittany's shoulders.

"Morning."

"Do you have a towel I could borrow? I just want to wash up real quick."

"Sure, there's a couple in the bathroom."

"Thanks," Santana grabs her jeans and t-shirt off the floor. "I'll be right back."

Brittany watches as Santana leaves the room, "Um, San. You might want to put those clothes on first. Rachel is in the living room."

"Oh! Right," she laughs. "I guess only you get to see that now."

"Damn right, now hurry up. I want some eggs."

Santana steps into her jeans. "Alright, alright," she turns in the doorway. "I must say though, this bossy-Britt is a total turn-on."

Brittany's cheeks flush at her own forwardness, and she watches her girl leave the room.

The three girls walk down the stairwell, with Britt far in the lead.

"What's the rush?" Rachel asks.

"She just really wants some eggs."

"Are we driving or walking?" Brittany yells from the bottom of the stairs.

"Let's walk. It's such a nice day outside."

"But Google says it's like over a mile!"

Santana hops down the last step and goes up to Brittany. "Then you get to hold my hand for over a mile times two," she puts her hand out to Brittany. "Let's go."

Brittany interlocks her fingers with Santana and clasps her other hand over Santana's bicep. "You are perfect."

They walk out the front door and head down the sidewalk. The July sun is blaring down, quickly causing sweat to collect on their brows.

"So your first day is soon, Brittany. Are you excited?"

"Yea, but mostly nervous."

"You're going to do great," Santana whispers into her ear.

"Thanks, San. It's just a commercial, so there's only about seven second of dancing, so…"

"Seven seconds of pure awesomeness."

"It will be good practice for when I have to do a music video."

"What about you, Rachel?"

The girl skips up to walk next to Brittany and Santana. "Glad you asked. I have actually been doing a lot of networking this week. Mostly just with people I meet on the street or at the store, but you never know who you might run into. I also signed up for acting classes; even though I don't think I need any lessons, but I figured it's all a part of the LA experience."

"That sounds fun! Seen any famous people yet?"

"Ummm, I think I saw that guy…who was in that one thing…what was his name?"

Santana laughs, "Ok the guy from that thing."

"I don't know, but if you saw him you would recognize him."

"I want to see a celebrity!" Brittany fake pouts. "A hot one."

"Hey now!" Santana balks. "Aren't I hot enough?"

"Of course you are! I just mean it would be fun to see someone from TV or a movie or something. I'm not asking for a freebie."

"A freebie?" Rachel asks.

"You know, if you meet your freebie person then you are free to hook up with them.

"Oh! Who would be your picks?"

"I don't want one," Brittany responds.

"C'mon, but if you could?" Rachel urges.

"Never," Brittany kisses the top of Santana's head and squeezes her hand.

"Me too, Britt."

They take a right off of Hollywood and Rachel spots the restaurant. "There it is!"

"Thank god! I'm so hungry," Brittany groans. "Is this a strip club?" she points to the place next door which has no windows.

"No, I think that's just a Mexican restaurant."

"Oh, it totally looks like a strip club."

"It's okay, Brittany. No more strip clubs for either of us, I promise. Keep walking," Santana laughs.

They finally sit down for brunch, with a light sheen of sweat. Santana slides into the booth next to Brittany and puts her arm around her.

"Maybe we should've driven. I need an iced coffee, stat," Rachel says.

"Mm yes, they have huevos rancheros," Brittany moans from behind her menu.

"Easy, Britt. Public place," Santana hums into her ear.

They put in their orders for eggs, ho cakes, and a tofu scramble and sip on their coffees.

"Santana, Britt told me about your new job. It sounds so exciting! Now I won't pressure you or anything, but I am a singer, so if you ever need someone to fill in a spot, I would be more than happy."

"I might need you to, actually. I'm kind of freaking out. I told my boss that I have all these connections to the music scene here, which was obviously a lie."

"Well, I'm sure you can just use the internet to find some people," Brittany reassures her with a rub to her shoulder.

"Yea, I just want it to be really good. I feel like Lauren is taking a chance on me, so I don't want to screw this up."

"You got this, babe," Brittany kisses her cheek.

"Oh my god, you guys. You are so adorable," Rachel gushes.

Brittany giggles shyly as her hair falls into her face.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. You both just look really happy. I'm jealous!"

"I am very happy," Santana murmurs while looking at Brittany.

"Me too," Brittany responds with a touch to the girl's thigh under the table.

The waiter comes by the table with the food, and the girls start scarfing down their breakfast.

"So since you two are obviously in a relationship, and are going to want to spend a lot of time together, I think we should set up some ground rules."

"Like what," Brittany says through a mouthful of eggs and salsa.

"Well, I like to get my full eight hours of sleep every night. So if you two plan on -*ahem*- you know, then I would ask that you keep the volume down."

Santana laughs at Brittany's gaping mouth. "No problem. I think we can handle that. What else?"

"Actually, I think that was my main concern. Oh! And if you're going to do any cooking of animal products for Brittany, please don't use my pans."

"No problem, and we can split our time between the apartments. Although I might need to get a bed first."

"Let's go to IKEA later," Brittany suggests. "They have some inexpensive furniture. And you can get pretty much anything you need there."

"Sounds like a plan," Santana nods.

Rachel takes the napkin from her lap and wipes her mouth. "Well, ladies, I will leave you to it. I've got to do some errands." She pulls out some money to place on the table. "See you later!"

"Bye, Rachel," Brittany and Santana say in unison.

"I'm not too loud am I?" Brittany asks.

"Huh?" Santana says as she keeps on eating.

"You know," she wiggles her eyebrows.

"Ummm, kind of."

Brittany slaps her playfully on the shoulder. "Stop, really?"

"Well, I'm sure there have been some unhappy hotel guests this past week. Or really happy guests," Santana giggles.

Brittany turns red and throws her head in her hands.

"It's okay, Britt. I don't hold back either. I think we'll just have to practice on keeping quiet."

"Deal," Brittany leans in for a kiss. "Let's get going, the sooner we get to IKEA, the sooner you will have a bed, and the sooner we can use it."

Santana grins and stuffs the last bit of ho cake into her mouth. "Leaving now."

They enjoy the walk back to their apartment, stopping to check out the handprints in front of the Chinese Theater. Brittany kneels down to compares hand sizes with Marilyn Monroe.

"Holy shit, Brittany. Your hands are like three times the size of hers."

"Stop, you make it sound like a monster," Brittany pouts.

"No, no! Brittany, that's like a really good thing. Really, really….good thing."

Brittany smirks and stands up. She puts her hands around Santana's waist. "Is that so?" she whispers into her ear.

"Mmmhmmm, very much," Santana shudders.

"I love your hands too, but I think I might like your tongue even better."

"Shit, Brittany," Santana grabs her hand and starts walking. "Need bed now."

"Are we still going to IKEA?"

"Later."

Brittany laughs at Santana's determination and skips to keep up.

They reach the apartment and run up the stairs, throwing the door open. "Rachel didn't come back here right? She said she was on errands?"

"Yea, but just to be sure….Rach!" Brittany yells. They wait in silence. "I think we're good."

"So we don't have to be quiet then," Santana growls.

Brittany pushes her back towards the bedroom, kissing her fully on the mouth.

"Mm, you taste like salsa, Britt."

The blonde takes the bottom of Santana's shirt and pulls it up over her head. She throws it across the room and shuts the door. Santana sits on the bed and unhooks her bra while Brittany quickly rips off all of her clothes.

"You're so beautiful, Brittany."

"You are," Brittany stalks over to the bed and sits on Santana's lap.

"I want to do so many things to you right now."

"Like what?" Brittany sucks on Santana's neck while massaging her breasts.

"Everything, I can't pick where to start."

"Tell me what you want, Santana."

"I, mm, I want to try something new."

Brittany pops her lips off of the girl's neck and crawls up the bed. "Show me."

Santana pulls the elastic from her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. She kneels on the bed and inches towards Brittany. She lays on top of her, brushes her hair away from her eyes and starts kissing her hard. They immediately dip their tongues into each other's mouth, savoring their tastes. Santana moans into Brittany's mouth and rubs her hand over her stomach. She drops it farther down until she reaches her center, finding that it is already glistening.

"What do you want to do, San?" Brittany grabs at the girl's back, clawing with her fingertips.

Santana leans backwards on her knees and slowly spreads Brittany's thighs apart. She situates her legs on either side of Brittany's right leg and starts to inch closer and closer. Brittany's eyes pop when she realizes what Santana had in mind.

"Is this okay?" Santana aks before moving any farther.

"Shit yes," Brittany arches her back trying to get closer.

Santana smiles and places her hand on Brittany's thigh to lift it upwards. She leans back to get the right angle and brings their centers together.

"Fuck, Brittany," Santana moans at the feeling of their wet clits touching for the first time. She starts thrusting slowly as the girl underneath her is writhing against the pillow. "You feel so good."

"Mmm, don't stop," Brittany gasps as she holds onto Santana's left arm.

They both start moving their hips faster and faster, sweat forming on their bodies. Santana lifts Brittany's leg a bit higher, fitting them together even better.

"Oh my god, San!"

"Are you close?" Santana pants. Brittany just nods, looking into her eyes. Santana picks up the pace, rubbing in just the right spot for both of them. Her breath starts to shorten. "I'm gonna come!"

"Me too," Brittany yells. "San!" her body goes rigid as Santana continues thrusting into Brittany.

"Uhhh, Britt, fuck," Santana cries out in pleasure. She drops her tired body onto Brittany, letting her leg fall back to the bed. "Oh my god, that was amazing."

Brittany sighs into Santana's neck. "I had always heard about that, but holy crap, I never thought it would feel that good."

Santana kisses over her collarbone. "I have many other things to show you, too."

"Like what?"

"It'll be a surprise," Santana brings her face up to Brittany's. She places a quick, sweet kiss to her lips. "We should probably make the most of the time that Rachel is not home."

Brittany grabs behind Santana's back and flips them over. "Totally."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update, I hope to get the next one up real soon. The last episode put me in a funk, but I actually found that writing this makes me forget about the show. Hooray! Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!**

"Santana, come to bed. I'm cold," Brittany whines from across the room.

"Just a few more minutes, Britt," Santana promises from where she sits at her new desk. She and Brittany had finally gotten around to making the trip to IKEA, so her room has started to look more like a bedroom than a sanitarium cell.

"It's 12:30 in the morning. He's not going to respond tonight."

"I just need an answer like now. I'm freaking out here, Britt," Santana turns in her chair.

Brittany pulls the covers aside and hops out of bed. "I know you're nervous, but everything will be fine. You already have three acts booked. If this guy doesn't get back to you, Rachel said she could perform." Brittany rests her palms against Santana's neck attempting to soothe her worries.

"No offense to Rachel, but she doesn't have 11,000 Facebook friends like he does."

"I'm sure he is going to respond. And you know what? If he doesn't, this is your first event. Lauren said she understands if the first couple weeks are slow," Brittany leans down, bringing her face closer. "Plus you know what?"

"What?" Santana pecks Brittany's chin.

"I think you should perform instead of him."

"No way. I'm not going to risk my first event on my own singing. I can't take the chance that people will walk out and I lose my job."

"That could never happen," Brittany brushes the hair from Santana's face. "If anything, people will be begging for more and wanting you to sign their boobs."

Santana laughs and pulls at Brittany's waist. "I don't want to touch anyone else's boobs."

"Not even if they're bigger than mine?" Brittany motions to her chest and puts her hands around them.

Santana stands up from her chair and pulls Brittany's hands away. She stares down Brittany's tank top and back up to her eyes. She brings her hands up Brittany's sides, along her ribcage, stopping just short of her breasts. "Nope," she leans in, pecks Brittany on the cheek, and walks towards the bed.

"Tease."

Santana smirks to herself as she climbs under the covers. Brittany remains at the end of the bed, pouting back at her.

"I'm sorry, Britt. Come here," Santana holds her hands out over the covers. "I've been so neurotic these past few days. And I've barely even asked you how your job is going."

Brittany slides into bed, throwing her arm across Santana's abdomen. "It's really tiring," she frowns. "They booked another commercial, so I have to start working on that one as soon as I can."

"But you're still enjoying it right?"

Brittany rests her head against Santana's shoulder and breathes out a "Yes."

Santana notices the girl's eyelids start to droop. "Just don't overwork yourself, Britt. You were there like twelve hours the other day. Is that normal?"

"I dunno, it's gotta be good so…" Brittany trails off and curls into Santana's neck.

"How about we relax and have some fun this weekend? We should go out to the bars or something. I haven't hung out with Sarah yet, so maybe all four of us could go?"

"Mmmm, ok," Brittany mumbles, half-way asleep. "I'm gonna dance _all_ up on you."

Santana laughs and turns on her side to face Brittany, whose breathing has steadied. "I can't wait," she whispers and kisses her forehead.

The next morning, Brittany leaves Santana's bed early to go back and shower at her apartment before work. When Santana awakes an hour later, she rushes to her laptop. She flips the lid and refreshes the browser. There is still no response, but there is an email from Lauren.

"Crap," Santana opens the email with trepidation. "Please don't ask me about the lineup. Please don't ask me about the lineup," she peeks at the screen with one eye closed.

To: Santana

From: Lauren

I'd like to update the Facebook event, so send me the list of performers asap. Also, could you stop in sometime today or tomorrow? Ben needs to teach you the new drink recipes.

Thanks,

Lauren

"Ugh." She shuts the lid. "He's going to say no, and I'm going to be screwed. No one will show up, and the whole night will be a disaster, and I will lose my job and be complete failure." She starts stripping off her clothes to shower. She grabs her phone to send the girls a quick text.

'Drinks tonight at 9?'

She plugs in her phone and gets ready for work.

Santana walks into the bar an hour later and sees the progress that has been made. The grand piano was delivered and sits in the corner by the window. All the tables and chairs are in place, all the lighting fixtures are wired, and the bar is stocked. She spots Ben unloading glasses and approaches the bar.

"Hey," Santana sits on one of the stools.

Ben turns around, "Oh, hi. Santana right?"

"Yea, we met last week."

"Sorry, I know. I'm terrible with names," he pushes up his sleeves and leans on the bar. "So, ready to see what I cooked up?"

"As I'll ever be," Santana watches as Ben starts making one of his specialty drinks.

"This one's easy. It's called the Steinway. One part gin, one part champagne, twist of lime. It's a take on a French 75."

"Easy enough. Anything challenging?" Santana says as Lauren walks in from the back office.

"Santana! Good you're here," she puts her iPad onto the bar and starts swiping at the screen. "So what's the lineup going to be? I was just editing the page right now."

Santana's nerves shoot up from her stomach. "I've got, um, Dan Larabee, Sasha Wills, and Jason Mulroney. But I'm, uh, still waiting on the last performer."

"When do you think you'll know by?"

"I'm hoping he'll respond today. He said he was interested, he just had to check his schedule."

Lauren stops typing and looks over to Santana. "Well, somebody is going to need to fill that spot. Do you have a backup ready?"

"Absolutely," Santana nods furiously.

"Ok, but I want the last name by tomorrow morning. Don't forget to print out the contracts and have them sign on Tuesday. I'll take care of their payment."

"Thanks, Lauren," she swivels back around on the stool as her boss heads to the office.

"Do you really have that last performer?" Ben pipes in.

Santana sneers back at the tall brunette man. "Of course, and he's totally going to say yes. He's probably emailing me as we speak."

"Fair enough," he throws his hands up in defense. "So do you play piano?"

"No," Santana shakes her head. "I'm a singer. A little guitar too."

"Awesome, so you do any performing, studio work…? Or is it just for fun?"

"Right now, it's just for fun. I've been so busy since I got here. I haven't had the chance to practice much."

"A performer always has time to practice. You should play here during the day while no one's around. We've got everything set up, and it's better than doing it alone in your room. You can feel what it's like to be on stage."

"That would be perfect. I really need the practice. And this way I won't piss off the neighbors."

"Yup, wouldn't want to get evicted. That happened to me."

"How?"

"Well, I'm a filmmaker. And my friends and I were up really late shooting this scene in my last short where this guy gets murdered with a meat cleaver. The actor was quite convincing, so the cops were called. For the third time. Landlord booted me out."

"Damn, that's awful. But awesome at the same time."

"Thankfully, I had a friend that let me stay with him for a while until I found a new place. Always have a backup, Santana." Ben grabs two bottles of liquor and starts making the next cocktail.

Santana smiles to herself, "I think I've got one."

When Santana gets home a few hours later, she rushes into her bedroom to check her inbox.

"Yes!" she clicks the email she had been waiting for and quickly scans the message. "Hell yes!" Santana pumps her fist in the air. "My job is safe and will live to see another day." She starts pacing around the room. "The place will be packed. Lauren will see how awesome of a booker I am. I am not a failure. Everything is good." She breathes a deep sigh of relief.

Santana feels her pocket vibrate with a new text from Sarah.

'Sounds great, I'll meet you guys there since I have to work late. Which bar?'

She types out a quick response.

'Somewhere in weho, not decided yet, call when you park.'

Santana sits down on the edge of her bed and calls Rachel.

'Hi Santana! What's up?'

'Are you in the apartment?'

'Yes, I just got back why?'

'Can I come over?'

'Sure, but Brittany isn't here…'

'I know. I want to surprise her with dinner.'

'I can't with you two. Freaking adorable. Come on over.'

'Thanks, bye!'

She heads into the kitchen to scrounge up some ingredients. She opens the fridge to find, few bottles of Cholula, and some leftover turkey sausage. Santana opens a few cupboards and finds a box of macaroni and cheese.

"Guess this might have to suffice for now," she throws the food into a plastic bag, grabs her keys, and heads down the hall.

*Knock-Knock-Knock*

"Come in!"

Santana opens the door to find Rachel lying in the middle of the floor. She places the bag on the kitchen counter. "What are you doing?"

"Singing while lying down. Helps you to use your stomach more, breathe steadier." She gets up off the floor and sits on the new couch she and Brittany got delivered.

"Is it alright if I use your large pot?"

"Sure," Rachel says as she starts flipping through a magazine. "Oh, I never responded to your text, but I'm in for drinks. I've been dying to go out."

"Cool. It should be fun all of us hanging out," Santana turns on the faucet to fill the pot. "I figured we could just bar hop and see which place is the most fun."

"Despite having two dads, I have never been to a gay bar. Have you?"

"Sure, yea. In New York," she gets out a pan to heat up the turkey. "Has Brittany? I don't know if we ever talked about it."

"No, I don't think so. She had a friend whose sister was having her birthday party at one. Brittany said she couldn't go that night, but I always had a feeling she was just scared. That if she went, everyone would just know."

Santana nods and opens the Tupperware. "I'm glad she was able to talk to you about all this. Maybe if she hadn't, we never would have…"

"No, I don't think anything would have stopped it," Rachel responds. "The way you both act towards each other? You never would have been anything less than girlfriends." They both hear the sound of keys in the door. "Speak of the devil. It's open!"

"Noo, I wanted to surprise her with the finished product," Santana throws the sausage into the pan as Brittany opens the door.

"Ughhh, Rachel, it feels like my thighs are on fire," she throws her bag into the hallway and walks past the kitchen into the living room. "This one guy kept getting this combination wrong. I had to show him over and over and over and over," Brittany plops down on the couch with her feet in Rachel's lap. "Everything hurts right now. I want Santana to rub my feet."

Rachel contains her laughter as Santana stands in the kitchen, waiting for her girlfriend to notice her presence.

"It smells good. What are you cooking?"

"I'm not."

"Huh? Why does it smell like-" Brittany swivels her head around and finally sees Santana leaning against the counter. "Babe!" she lifts off the couch and winces in discomfort. "Ow, ow, ow. When did you get here?!"

"Don't move, Britt. Sit down. I came here to surprise you with dinner, but you came home earlier than I thought you would." Brittany sits on the chair next to the small dinette table, and Santana walks around to kneel in front of her. "You should put some ice on the sore areas," she starts massaging Brittany's quads.

"We're going dancing tonight, and I can barely walk right now," Brittany pouts.

"We've still got like four hours. Plus all you need to do is stand still, and I can dance for you," Santana whispers.

"And I can dance all up on you next time?"

Santana nods her head, "Mmm-hmmm. All up on this," she motions to herself. "How about you go lie down on your bed? I'll bring you ice and my specialty: macaroni and cheese, with…um turkey sausage…bites..? I'll come up with a better name."

"Sounds delicious," Brittany leans forward for a sweet kiss. "Help me up?"

Santana stands up and grips her hands, pulling her up. Brittany wobbles down the hall as Santana forages for a plastic bag for ice.

"Do you have something I could wrap the ice bag in?" Santana asks Rachel.

"There are some hand towels in the drawer next to the sink."

"Ah, thanks."

"How about I finish up the cooking? You go take care of her," Rachel gets up off the couch.

"Really?"

"Sure, no problem. But I will definitely be eating some of this macaroni – pre cheesing."

"Thank you, Rachel." Santana folds the towel around the ice and goes to Brittany's bedroom. She finds her lying face down in the middle of the bed. She had taken off her shirt and is only in her sports bra and shorts.

"Aw, babe. Does it really hurt that bad?"

Brittany rolls over onto her back, nodding her head. "I don't know why. I never get sore. I guess I didn't stretch enough this morning."

Santana kneels on to the bed, hovering over Brittany. "Where does it hurt the most?" Brittany points to her left thigh, so Santana rests the ice on the spot while rubbing her other leg.

"Mm, that's nice," she sighs.

"I have good news."

"They're making a sequel to Finding Nemo?"

"No," Santana giggles.

"Damn. One day…"

"I got Marcus Young to agree."

"Really?! That's great, Santana," she leans up on her forearms and tries to pull Santana into a kiss.

"Stay there. I'll come to you," Santana grins and lies down on her side. She keeps one hand on the ice and brings her other behind Brittany's head. They kiss lazily for a few moments. Brittany moans as Santana sucks on her tongue, and she can't stop her hips from moving.

Santana pulls away, "We should stop. Rachel's here, and you should lie still."

"You're right," Brittany responds breathlessly.

"Rachel told me you hadn't been to a gay bar before." Santana lays her head on Brittany's pillow.

"Yea, I never have."

"So are you excited?"

Brittany ponders it for a moment. "Yea, but I'm not looking forward to having girls all over you. I might not be able to stop them."

"No way, Britt," Santana laughs. "It's going to be the other way around. Let's just hope I don't _accidentally _trip some girls tonight."

"You wouldn't," Brittany shakes her head. "You're too sweet."

"Only around you," Santana brushes her thumb over Brittany's cheek and places a tiny kiss to her nose.

**A/N: More Brittana interaction in the next one, I decided to make the bar hopping its own chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Let me know what you think, I really appreciate any input you all might have. ****Thanks for reading once again!**

"There's a spot right there! Next to the red one."

"Thank god, if I had to circle around one more time," Brittany pulls the car into the parking spot.

"Thanks for driving tonight, Britt."

"You're welcome," she leans over for a kiss. "You can make it up to me later."

"Still in the car, ladies," Rachel pipes in from the backseat.

"Sorry, Rach. We'll stay at Santana's tonight," Brittany looks to Santana for approval, who subtly nods. "You don't have to worry."

They all grab their purses and get out of the car. Santana goes to pay the meter while Brittany adjusts her hair in the window of the car.

"Poor Sarah then. When is she getting here?"

"Soon, I think. She's going to call San."

"Okay, let's go. I am far too sober right now," Santana wraps her arm around Brittany's, and they head down the sidewalk. The street is buzzing with energy. The outdoor patios of every bar are filled to the brim with colored lights strung over top. Music blares, bass thumping, through the air.

"Which one do you want to try first?" Brittany asks.

"Well this place has a cover charge so let's keep walking," Santana leads them through the crowded sidewalk.

Brittany leans in closer to Santana, "You look so hot tonight." She is wearing a black leather jacket over a tight red top and skinny jeans with heels. Her hair is soft with slight wavy curls.

Santana pulls Brittany's hand up towards her mouth and places a kiss to her knuckles. "So do you," she eyes the girl up and down, admiring her black dress. "But you always look beautiful."

Brittany rests her head against Santana's as they come up to a crosswalk. Rachel hurries up to the two and points across the street. "How about that place? It doesn't look too crowded."

"Let's try it," Brittany tugs on Santana's arm.

"Okay. Oh hold on," she pulls her phone from her pocket. "Sarah's parking her car. And she brought a friend."

"Tell them to meet us inside. I'm thirsty," Rachel heads towards the entrance.

Santana sends a quick text, and they all head inside to the bar. Brittany finds a stool to sit on while they wait for the bartender. Santana scans the room to find that it's mostly gay men. "I guess I won't have to worry about being jealous tonight."

"You don't know that they're all gay," Brittany responds.

"There are men in banana hammocks dancing on tables. The ratio is going to be pretty high," Santana says while taking money out from her bra.

"Noted. I'll get the first round. What do you guys want?"

"Whatever you're getting, Britt," Santana stands behind her with her hands on her waist.

"I'll have a white wine," Rachel adds.

Brittany waves the shirtless bartender over. "Can I get two cranberry vodkas and a white wine?" He nods and starts making the drinks. "So is this bar pretty much just for gay men?"

"There's another room in the back. There are some female dancers, so that tends to be mostly women in there. That'll be $16." Brittany hands over the money, leaves a tip, and gives Santana and Rachel their glasses.

"There's another room in the back that has less guys in it. Do you want to go there or stay here?" Brittany leans in to have her voice heard over the music.

"Nearly naked men might be more fun for you, Rachel."

"Please, I don't want to deprive you two of your first experience together amongst other lesbians at a gay bar. I mean, not that I'm assuming you are one yourself, Brittany. I just meant, I mean whatever you identify as is…I'm sorry. I'll shut up now," Rachel gulps down her wine.

Brittany feels uneasy and looks to Santana. "It's fine. What do you want to do?"

"I just want to dance with you. It doesn't matter where," Santana puts her hand around Brittany's neck.

"Let's stay here. We have to wait for Sarah anyways," Brittany walks them over to an open spot amongst the crowd. They start dancing in a circle, sipping on their drinks. As much as Santana wants to grab Brittany and grind on her, she doesn't want to make Rachel the third wheel.

"I love this sooooog!" Rachel yells. She downs the last of her drink. "I'm gonna go get another! Do you want anything?"

Brittany and Santana shake their heads, and as Rachel leaves for the bar, they turn to each other. "Come here," Santana motions with her finger. Brittany stalks over to her and brings one hand around Santana's neck, pushing her against the nearest wall.

"I guess your leg is feeling better?"

"Very," Brittany nods and swallows the rest of her drink. She places it on the window ledge behind Santana then grabs her hand. Brittany pulls it behind her back, signaling for Santana to keep it there. "Maybe you should touch it to see how it feels?"

Santana reaches her other hand down to Brittany's thigh, giving it a small squeeze. "Seems pretty nice to me," she grins.

"Dance with me," Brittany says while rubbing her thumbs across Santana's neck. She pulls her closer and slips her leg between Santana's. Brittany leans into her so that the girl can hardly dance at all, so Santana lets Brittany move against her.

"You were supposed to be the one who stood still, while I dance for you," Santana yells over the loud club music.

"We've got all night for that. I'm sure I'll get tired later," Brittany rolls her hips against Santana's. She trails her hands down the girl's neck to rest on her lower back. Santana lets her head drop to Brittany's shoulder and she starts breathing heavily into the side of her neck.

"Whoa!" Rachel turns her head away from the couple. "Sorry, I'll uh, just go say hi to this nice man," she puts out her hand the shake with a tall blonde man behind her. "Hello, my name is Rachel Berry."

"Sorry, Rachel!" Brittany yells. "You can come back now," she offers, but the girl is already in deep conversation.

"Oops," Santana laughs. "She is bound to walk in on us in a compromising position someday. This is good practice for her."

"Hey!" They turn towards the door and see Sarah walking towards them. "How are you guys?" They each greet her with a hug. "This is my friend Ashley. We work together. Ashley, this is my roommate Santana, and her girlfriend, Brittany."

"Nice to meet you! I'm going to go get us some drinks; we have to catch up to you guys!"

"Was that okay that I introduced you as her girlfriend? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," Sarah apologizes.

"Um, no it's fine. I mean, I am her girlfriend. That's for sure," Brittany says.

Santana holds onto Brittany's wrist and flashes her a smile. "I'll shout it from the top of the hills."

Three drinks later, they all are all quite tipsy. Rachel, Sarah, and Ashley are chatting it up and dancing with two men. Brittany and Santana are a few feet away, furiously making out against the wall. Brittany pulls away to take a breath. "You taste like peaches," she pokes her tongue out of her mouth to lick Santana's lips.

"It's because I just drank a Sex On the Beach," Santana answers.

"Yes!"

"Yes, what?" Santana yells.

"Let's do that!" Brittany rubs her palm over Santana's stomach, around to her hip.

"No, I said I just drank- Never mind! Yea, we can totally do that! But not tonight. It's dark and I'm drunk."

"Okay," Brittany sighs. "I'll put that on my list," she throws her arms across Santana's shoulders.

"What list?"

"A list of all the different places I want to have sex with you," she whispers into her ear.

"Fuck, Brittany. Is a public bathroom on that list, because you're killing me right now."

Brittany grins and goes back to kissing her. She forces her tongue inside Santana's mouth and sucks greedily on her top lip. "This place's bathrooms are gross; we can find much better ones to do that in someday. Now," Brittany spins them around. "It's your turn to dance for me."

Santana turns her back to Brittany and moves in time with the heavy bass. She grinds backwards into her, fitting perfectly. Brittany pulls on her hips to bring her as close as possible. She runs her hands over Santana's stomach, and they get lost in each other. The song ends, and Santana spins around to face Brittany. She rests her hands on either side of Brittany's head, palms on the wall behind her. She sings along to the start of the next song, as she continues grinding into Brittany.

"Uhh, maybe we should tone it down," Brittany gulps.

"Why?" Santana says into her ear before kissing down the side of her neck.

"Because if you move your leg any closer, I'll have to check 'Dance Floor' off of my list."

Santana laughs and runs her hands down Brittany's arms to hold her hands. "I'm sorry," she kisses her on the lips. "I'll save it for later."

Brittany smiles and pulls Santana behind her back for a lingering hug. She rests her hand on the back of Santana's head and closes her eyes to enjoy the moment. She is broken out of it when her eyelids flash white.

"What was that?" Santana turns around.

"You guys are so cute!" Ashley yells with her phone in hand. "I've got to post this on Facebook," she starts swiping at the screen.

"No!" Brittany yells out. "Fuck, don't do that!"

"Hey, Britt, it's okay," Santana touches her shoulder.

"No! Please don't post photos! You can't do that," Brittany panics and bolts for the exit.

Ashley looks terrified and puts her phone in her purse. "I'm so sorry, Brittany! I won't!" She turns to the rest of the group. "I just thought you were both out. I didn't know."

Santana sends a sympathetic look to Ashley before following Brittany out the door. She steps out into the cool night air looking for her girlfriend. She looks to the right and sees Brittany leaning against a lamp post.

"Hey," Santana rushes up to her. Brittany's eyes are red and quickly filling with tears. She throws herself into Santana and nuzzles her face into her neck. "Talk to me, Britt."

She squeezes into the hug before pulling back to look at Santana. "I'm sorry," she wipes her nose.

"You don't have to be sorry, but I'm worried."

"I don't want you to think I'm ashamed of you," Brittany's voice wavers. "It just got so real. I freaked."

Santana holds Brittany's hands, rubbing her thumbs back and forth. "She's not going to post anything. I promise."

"I know, but what if I can never let anybody do that?" Brittany mumbles through her tears. "I want to do that. I want to post photos of us, and I want to change my stupid relationship status. I want to tell everyone about you. I just didn't think I would have to deal with all this so soon."

"You can take as much time as you need, Brittany. You don't have to make a big announcement right now," Santana brushes the hair from Brittany's face and wipes a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I wish I didn't have to make one at all."

"Britt, you'll know when you're ready.

"It doesn't feel like I'll ever be ready. I don't know what my family is going to think. My grandmother will disown me for sure. I'll just be referred to as the 'lesbian cousin'. I don't want anything to change."

Santana pulls Brittany into a hug and rubs circles on her back. "I know it's not easy or fair."

"I'm scared, San," she whispers into her neck.

"No matter what, I'll always be here, okay?" Santana squeezes her a little tighter.

Brittany stays resting into Santana's body. She lets her crying dissipate and stays in the embrace. Santana gently rocks them back and forth, as drunken people keep walking by on the sidewalk. The music still pumps out of the club. Brittany presses a kiss into Santana's shoulder, and stands up straight. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Santana smiles. She spots a woman walking by with a bucket of different colored roses, trying to sell them to all the bar-goers. She pulls a five out of her pocket and quickly browses the selection. White, orange, pink. Santana reaches for her pick and coyly offers the single red rose to Brittany. "Let's go home," she kisses her cheek.

Brittany threads her fingers through Santana's and kisses her shoulder.

"I'll run in and tell Rachel that we're leaving, Sarah can bring her back later," Santana turns for the door.

"No, I should go inside and apologize," Brittany follows. They walk in to find the three girls by the window talking closely.

"Brittany, are you alright?" Rachel asks.

"Yea," Brittany nods and turns to Ashley. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you. It wasn't your fault."

"No, hey. I shouldn't have assumed. It won't happen again, I promise. But for the record, you two really do look good together."

"Thanks," Brittany blushes. "We're going to head out actually, if you guys want a ride back now or do you want to stay?"

"I'll stay and let you both have some time alone," Sarah responds.

"Yea, we'll get another drink and get some food."

"Okay, have a good night," Santana waves and grabs Brittany's hand to lead them out the door.

They reach the apartment building and trudge up the stairs. Brittany holds the rose and watches as Santana unlocks her door. "After you," she motions inside.

Brittany walks in and goes into the kitchen. She takes out a tall glass and fills it with water. Santana pulls off her heels and throws them down the hall. Brittany places the rose in the water and sets the glass down on the counter. "This is the first flower anyone has ever gotten me."

Santana smiles and it soon fades from her face. She walks up behind Brittany and stands on her tip-toes to whisper in her ear. "You deserve all the flowers."

Brittany turns around in Santana's arms. She raises her hand to her cheek and looks into Santana's eyes. She presses her lips firmly into her girlfriend's, moaning when Santana's tongue grazes her bottom lip. "Mmm," Brittany pants. "I lov-", her eyes widen and she stammers in panic. "I-I love flowers."

**A/N: So this chapter hits a bit close to home for me. Don't worry the fic isn't going into a dark place, I still plan on keeping things light, but Brittany's struggle is just something I wanted to write in hopes it might somehow help myself. Back to more fluff soon, I promise!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update. Kinda hit with writer's block for a while there. Anyways, this is kind of like an addendum to the last chapter, so it's a bit shorter. Next chapter should be back to the usual length. Thanks for those of you who keep on reviewing, I appreciate it so much!**

Brittany stiffens in Santana's arms, wondering if she really almost said those three words. She searches Santana's eyes for any sort of reaction. It's only been just over a month that they have known each other. It is way too soon for any that, and the last thing Brittany wants to do is make Santana feel uncomfortable. Her eyes dart back and forth between Santana's. Brittany clears her throat, and she opens her mouth to speak. "I…um-"

"Me too," Santana cuts her off.

"You….what?" Brittany's eyes shoot open.

"Flowers? Orchids are my favorite," she turns around to the fridge.

Brittany watches as the girl continues on without any sign of awkwardness. She must not have noticed her near slip-up. "Oh, yea. They're really pretty," Brittany watches Santana bend over looking for something on the bottom shelf. "Aren't those the flowers that look like vaginas?"

"Yea, those are the ones," Santana laughs. "But they're beautiful apart from looking wanky. How about I make us some grilled cheese while you take a nice, hot shower?" Santana throws the butter onto the counter and reaches for the bread sitting on top of the fridge.

"Okay," Brittany sighs. She is relieved, yet left with a slight empty feeling. Maybe she wishes Santana had heard it and said it back. She turns down the hallway towards the bathroom, stripping off her clothes. As she stands in front of the shower, waiting for the water to heat up, Brittany wonders if Santana could maybe love her. Or maybe their feelings are strong because they spent so much time together in the short time that they have known each other. The water temperature is just hot enough, so Brittany steps in putting her head under the stream. "Forget it," she whispers under her breath. "Stop overthinking everything. Just go with the flow," she grabs the shampoo bottle. She lathers her hair, rinses, and scrubs her body down. When she steps out of the shower, she sees a note on the floor near the door. Brittany takes her towel from the rack and wraps herself in it.

She bends down to pick up the note, and it reads, "Don't get dressed yet- Put on your robe. xo"

Brittany grins and follows Santana's instructions. She quickly dries off her hair and throws on her fluffy, white robe. She opens the door and heads for the kitchen. "Santana?" The living room is empty as is the kitchen, but on the counter is another note, "Late night snack in bed?"

Brittany pads back down the hallway and opens the bedroom door. The entire room is dim with a slight pink hue from a scarf over the lampshade. Santana is sitting on her heels on the bed, waiting. The food is across the room on the desk.

"Hi," Santana smiles. "I know this was a difficult night for you, and I just want to make it end on a high note. We could eat first or I…," she reaches behind her for a bottle of oil. "I thought I could give you a massage," she motions to the bed with a towel laid out across it.

Brittany walks towards the end of the bed, and Santana scoots to the edge. "You are so good to me," she reaches her hand up to run her fingers through her dark brown hair. Santana puts her hand over Brittany's and turns it over to place kisses on the palm.

"I just want to make you happy. That makes me happy. And this is the first time in a long while that I really am happy," Santana says. "So what do you say? Food or…?" she grins.

"Screw the food," Brittany climbs onto the bed. "I mean, thank you for making it!" she corrects herself. "I'm sure it will taste good later."

"I know what you meant, Britt. Now take off your robe and lie down," Santana says as she dabs some oil into her hand. "I have a confession to make. I kind of watched like seven YouTube videos on how to give a full body massage."

Brittany unties her robe and shrugs it off her shoulders. "You are such a nerd," she lays her head on the pillow. "Or a perv; I don't know which."

Santana laughs and repositions herself next to Brittany. She spreads the oil out over her back, rubbing it in thoroughly. She starts on her lower back, making small circles next to Brittany's spine, all the way up to her neck. Santana's fingers ease the tension from her shoulders, and Brittany feels herself lulled into a peaceful state. She hums in content when Santana's hands move to a new area. Her hands graze the side of her chest and move back up to her shoulders. Santana doesn't miss an inch of Brittany's skin. She moves to her arms and hands, applying pressure with her thumbs. Then Santana moves down to her legs. She drags her hands up Brittany's calves to her hamstrings. She repeats the motion several times, until she keeps her hands moving up over her ass. She hears Brittany groan and continues the motion over and over again. Soon Santana sees Brittany's hips start moving into the mattress. Santana stops her hands and keeps them down on her calves.

"Why'd you stop?" Brittany says lazily, turning her head to the side.

"I didn't do this just so we could- I mean, I wasn't trying to-"

"I know," Brittany turns over onto her side, "but I want to be with you tonight."

"Are you sure?" Santana asks, keeping her hand on Brittany's lower back.

"I want to be with you every night," she says reaching for Santana's arm. "You make me feel safe. And normal. And loved." Brittany stiffens in panic. "I mean, like…," she searches for the right words to clarify her last statement, but can't find any. "I'm not assuming that you are in love- um."

Santana lies down to face Brittany on her side. "You're right."

"I'm, I'm right?" Brittany stammers. Santana inches her face closer to look Brittany in the eyes. Brittany can see that her eyes are shining with tears. Santana wraps her arm around her neck, rubbing it with her thumb.

"I love you."

Brittany feels her chest explode and her heart start racing. She breathes a deep, trembling sigh. "You do?" her voice wavering from holding back tears.

"I know it's so soon, but I can't help it. How could anyone not fall in love with you the moment they meet you?" Santana's wipes a tear just fallen from Brittany's eye. "You are perfect, and I'm so lucky that I found you."

"I love you too," Brittany chokes out and lunges forward to kiss Santana, forcing her onto her back. She pulls back for air and looks into Santana's eyes. "I think I've known for a while. I was afraid to tell you."

Santana brings her hand to the back of Brittany's head, forcing their lips back together. She moans into the kiss as Brittany's tongue dives into her mouth. "I think we're a little mismatched right now," Brittany pants. She motions to Santana's clothed body. Brittany looks to her for approval and unzips Santana's jeans. "Lift your hips," Brittany says and she pulls them down Santana's legs along with her underwear. "Sit up," she tugs at the bottom of Santana's top and pulls it over her head. Santana takes off her bra and lies back down against the pillow.

Brittany lets herself fall against Santana, straddling her hips. She brings their mouths together and her hands to Santana's breasts. She starts kneading them, drawing moans from Santana's mouth. Santana moves her hands down Brittany's back, lightly scratching with her nails. She rests them on her ass, squeezing gently and forcing her hips into her own. Brittany starts rocking into her and drops one hand down towards Santana's center. Brittany feels that she is already wet, and starts rubbing over her clit.

"Oh, shit," Santana cries out. Her hands start wandering around Brittany's hips, and she brings her left hand around to Brittany's front. "I want to come together," Santana moans and circles Brittany's entrance.

Brittany nods furiously and drops her head to Santana's shoulder. They look in each other's eyes with their fingers resting on each other's centers. They silently communicate and at the same time enter each other with two fingers.

"Oh my god, Santana," Brittany thrusts her wrist while moving her hips into Santana's hand. "Don't stop."

"You feel so good, Britt," she brings her thumb to press into her clit while curling her fingers inside of Brittany.

"Ugh, you too. Right there," Brittany pants into Santana's neck.

Their arms move frantically into each other, sweat forming on their skin. Brittany's oily back glimmers in the dim light as they draw one another closer and closer to pleasure.

"I'm so close," Brittany brings her face up to look at Santana. "Are you?"

Santana nods and forces out a "Yes". She brings their lips together and their bodies thrust into each other as they swallow each other's moans.

"I love you," Brittany gasps as she rides out her orgasm, keeping her fingers moving inside of Santana.

"I love you too," Santana says dreamily, and they continue kissing lazily until Brittany falls asleep on top of her. Santana feels the girl's body move slowly up and down in steady breathing. She attempts to get the covers out from underneath them without waking Brittany up. Santana successfully maneuvers them underneath the comforter, and she gets cozy in the warmth of Brittany's body. As Santana turns her head against the pillow, out of the corner of her eye she spots the grilled cheese on the table across the room. "Damn."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hi there everyone, not much to say here this time. Just thanks for reading, and I hope you let me know what you think with a review! It sure helps motivate me and kick my butt into writing mode!**

Brittany and Santana decide to spend the rest of the weekend holed up in Santana's room. After waking up late the next morning, Santana suggests they get breakfast delivered.

"I want one of those big waffles with strawberries," Brittany murmurs from underneath the covers. "The giant ones with the giant holes for whipped cream."

"Wanky," Santana has her laptop in bed next to her. "We haven't tried that yet," she giggles to herself. But I don't think they have Belgian waffles, babe. They have French toast with strawberries. Is that okay?"

"Arghhh," Brittany slivers further under the blanket. She pauses and lets out a sigh. "Yes."

"Don't be a sourpuss, Britt," Santana lays the computer down and cuddles up to Brittany. "Someday I'll get one of those fancy waffle makers, and I'll make you those big waffles every day," she peels back the covers over Brittany's head.

"You don't have to do that," she leans up to kiss her chin. "I'm just in a weird mood."

"Why?" Santana brushes Brittany's hair out of her face and rubs her thumb over her cheek.

"I don't know. I mean, last night was so amazing," she grasps Santana's wrist. "I've still got butterflies."

"Me too," Santana replies. "When I woke up this morning, I couldn't wait to tell you again. I almost shook you awake just to say 'I love you'."

Brittany pulls Santana's face towards hers and gives her a deep kiss. "I love you too. I'm so happy, and at the same time my mind just races constantly. I don't know what to do. Should I just like mail my parents a letter or something? Send them a 'Your-daughter-is-gay-o-gram'? That should totally be a thing if it's not already a thing."

"You really don't want to tell them in person?"

"It just seems like it would be easier," Brittany shifts on her side to face Santana. She rests her head on her arm, and Santana pulls her body closer. "I have a hard time talking to them about serious stuff. I think the last time I expressed emotion to them was when I was eight and they cancelled 'Eureka's Castle'."

"I know your mind seems like it's pushing you to make a decision, and I know our relationship has moved fast, but you don't have to do anything you don't want to, Brittany."

"I know."

"If they come visit you, I'll be whatever you want me to be."

Brittany raises her head from Santana's arm with a worried brow," No," she shakes her head. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"Brittany, it's okay. If you're not ready to tell them-"

"No, I'm not going to lie about who you are and what you mean to me. I'll figure it out, I've got time. Dad doesn't get many vacation days, so yea. I'll just, I'll be fine."

Santana kisses her forehead. "I know you will," she reaches for her laptop. "How about that French toast?"

"I want eggs."

Two hours later, Brittany and Santana are stuffed from omelets, pancakes, and iced coffee. They lie in bed watching a marathon of "Arrested Development".

"I hate Gob," Santana remarks. "He's such an asshole. Why would he dump Marta?"

"Totally an idiot. She's super-hot. Who's your favorite?"

"Lindsey's pretty cool, I guess."

Brittany playfully smacks Santana on the arm and laughs.

"What was that for?" she rubs her forearm.

"You totally have a type," Brittany shakes her head.

"I do not. She's just like, really funny."

"Ha, liar. Blondes are totally your thing."

"I could say the same to you! Marta?"

"Guilty as charged. I admit it, I have a weakness for Latinas," Brittany squeezes Santana's knee. "But I promise you have nothing to worry about," she nuzzles her face into her neck. "There's just one for me."

Santana puts her arm around Brittany, pulling her close. "And only one blonde for me," she shuts the lid of the laptop and crawls on top of her. She brings her hands up Brittany's arms to pin her wrist above her head. "She's all mine," Santana growls going in for a kiss.

"Umph," Brittany moans into the kiss as Santana dips her tongue into her mouth. She pushes her thigh in between Santana's. "Wait."

Santana releases her lips with a frown and looks down to Brittany. "What's wrong?"

"Sarah is here. I heard her come back last night."

"Ughh," Santana drops her body to rest on top of Brittany. "But I wants to get my mack on."

Brittany reaches her hand up to Santana's mouth and covers it with her palm. "If you be quiet, maybe I can still help you out."

All Santana can do is nod in delight and let Brittany take over.

Monday comes much faster than both of them wish. Brittany sets her alarm for six a.m., and they each take turns hitting the snooze until Brittany realizes she's running thirty minutes late.

"Shit! I really have to get up now," she throws the covers aside, leaving a groaning Santana alone in bed.

"Stayyyy, just call in sick," she begs.

"I can't," Brittany replies while throwing her jeans on. "We're shooting today, I have to be there."

Santana crawls to the end of the bed, latching onto Brittany's arm. "I'm gonna miss you," she pouts with her head hanging off the edge of the bed.

"I shouldn't be there too long. I'll be back for dinner, I promise," she pulls her shirt over her head and kneels down next to Santana. "And I'll probably be all sweaty, so how about you get a bath started for us when I get back?"

Santana rolls over onto her back and pulls Brittany by the collar for an upside down kiss. "I love you."

"I love you more," Brittany kisses her once more on the cheek and heads off to work.

Santana goes to the bar around ten, with her guitar in hand. She is sure that all the audio equipment is set up properly, so she plans to take some time to play. She walks in to find Lauren hanging a framed picture on the wall. As she closes the door, Lauren turns around from on top of the footstool. "Santana," she mumbles holding the end of a nail in her lips, "how's my hottest bartender doing?"

Santana sets her case down next to the piano. "Great, thanks. Who's in that photo?" she points to the frame.

"That's my father playing with in New York way back when. He's the one who got me interested in music. It's why I named the place Oscar's," she hammers the nail into the wall. "Unfortunately I inherited my mother's talent for music, which was none. So, I decided to go for the business side. Does this look straight to you?" she looks at the picture now hanging on the wall.

"Tilt it to the left a little."

"Perfect, so what brings you here so early? Everything's set and you're not on the schedule to bartend tonight."

"Oh, Ben said it would be alright if I used the space to practice. I hope that's okay."

"Sure, I'll be in back. Ben should be here soon to start prep. If he's late, could you start?"

"Yea, no problem. Actually, Lauren, is there any way I could get some more hours working the bar? I know we only just opened, and I haven't really proven myself yet or anything, but I could really use the money."

"I'm sorry, Santana. I've got the staff all booked," Lauren says while she walks across the room. "You could offer to fill in when someone needs a shift covered, but that's all you can do."

"Okay, I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Listen, I know how hard you're working towards tomorrow night. If all goes well, then we can talk about possibly expanding your booking duties. I'll leave you to it then," Lauren heads to the back office.

Santana sulks over to her guitar case, opens it, and takes out her pitch pipe. She sits on the stool on the little stage in the corner and begins tuning. Once all the strings are in tune, she takes out her cable and plugs it into the amp. She tests out the levels and starts humming out a melody while fingerpicking a steady rhythm.

Ben walks up to the front door and pauses before entering the bar. He spots her on the stool and listens to the faint song forming in Santana's head. As she lets the last chord ring out, he opens the door to alert Santana of his presence.

"Oh, hey Ben," she rests her arms over her guitar.

"I heard you from outside," he says while walking behind the bar.

"No need to tell me how god awful it was, I know."

"You're kidding, right?"

"What?" she laughs and stands up from the stool to place the guitar back in the case. "I was just messing around."

"So you wrote that?"

"Well, I didn't write anything. I just made it up," Santana walks over and sits at the bar.

"Santana, it was really good."

"Thanks," she blushes.

"Want something to drink?" he points to the taps.

"Sure, diet Coke."

"So I take you don't have any lyrics written yet?" Ben pours her drink and places it on a napkin in front of her.

"No," Santana shakes her head.

Ben turns to start drying glasses with a rag. "Listen, I'm working on my next short film. I've been looking for a song for this one specific scene in the crux of the plot. And since I really can't afford to use any popular songs that would require licensing, I want to use your song. If you'll let me."

"Really?"

"Totally. It's a win-win for both of us. I save money and get a kick ass song, and you get some exposure for your music. Just put some lyrics to it, and we'll get it recorded. I know a guy who will do it for nothing. He owes me."

"Oh my gosh, Ben. That would be so cool! I've never heard myself recorded before. What kind of lyrics are you looking for?"

"Well the short plays in real time, and the two main characters have known each other for all of ten minutes. Along the way each starts to slowly realize that they are the absolute perfect person for each other. That's when your song comes in. It sounds pretty simple, I know, but I got these great actors for it."

Santana grins at the premise, "It sounds great. I think I can definitely come up with something good."

"You look like you might now a little something about this kind of thing."

Santana looks up from her drink, "What thing? Lyrics?"

"No, about falling in love."

She can't stop the giant smile from forming on her face. "I do."

"I knew it. What's his name?"

"Oh, um. Well, her name is Brittany."

Ben starts laughing and throws his rag down onto the counter.

"What the hell, Ben? I thought you were cool!" She steps off the stool and goes to latch her guitar case. "I guess I was wrong. Tell Lauren, I'll see her tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," he keeps laughing. "I'm not laughing because you're-"

"Gay?" she picks up her case.

"No, Santana. This is just too meant to be."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"My short film is about two women."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thanks for those that reviewed the last chapter! I know it's been taking longer for me to update, work has been exhausting, but I will try to get quicker with it. Thanks for reading!**

After Santana nearly pummels Ben for laughing, she decides to stay around the bar a little longer to play and brainstorm some lyrics for her new song. She sits at a table in the corner while Ben is re-stocking the bar. She takes out her phone and scrolls through her pictures. The last eleven pictures she had taken are all of Brittany. In most, Santana had taken it when the girl wasn't looking; asleep in bed, standing in the kitchen washing dishes, or reading a book on the couch. Then Santana scrolls to the first picture they took together at the Grand Canyon. She stares at it for minutes, admiring how they were looking at each other within only days of meeting. She then starts scribbling onto a napkin. Ten minutes later, she caps the pen and stands up.

"Alright, Ben, so when are we doing this thing?"

He looks up from the bar, "Huh?"

"The song? When can I record it?"

"You finished it already?"

"Yea," Santana shrugs. "It usually takes me a while, but this time it wasn't too hard to find the words."

"I'll give my friend a call. He might be free today."

"Perfect! Thanks again for letting me do this," Santana says.

Ben takes his phone out and makes the call. Santana sits down at the bar and reaches over to pour herself a Coke.

"Hey, Eric. It's Ben. Listen, that favor you owe me? Can I cash that in today?" Ben looks to Santana and nods. "Great, my friend Santana here is going to be stopping by in a few. Yea….Ok, great thanks." He ends the call and puts his phone back in his pocket. "He's ready now. He records out of his home studio. Don't worry though, he's a nice guy. This is his address," he writes it down on a napkin. "You can walk from here."

"Cool, I guess I'll head out then," Santana stands up from the stool and starts to pack away her guitar. She latches it closed and waves to Ben out the door.

She walks the six blocks south and quickly starts sweating in the August sun. She stops to wipe her face with her shirt sleeve and checks the address once again. Santana spots the building and walks up to hit the buzzer.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Eric? It's Santana."

"Hey! Come on up," the door unlocks and Santana makes her way up the stairs. As she is about to knock on his door, it opens. "Hey! Come in, come in!" He steps aside from the entranceway, and Santana walks in to the apartment.

"Wow, this place is amazing," she says in awe of the expansive living room with a large LCD TV on the wall.

"Thanks, I've been here a few years now. Let me show you into the studio and we'll get started. I don't mean to rush you, I've got someone coming in at four," he ushers her down the hallway.

"No worries, thanks for doing this. I'm kind of really excited."

"Have you ever recorded before?"

"No, this is a first," they walk into the tiny room with padded walls.

"Alright, so you can get tuned up and everything. I'll start doing my thing here," Ben sits behind the sound board.

It only takes two run-throughs, and Santana is finished.

"I think we got it, Santana," Ben takes off his headphones. "You sounded really great. I don't think I'll need to do much mixing here. You sure you've never done this before?"

Santana shakes her head, "Never."

"I'm really impressed by that song, I have to say."

"Really?" Santana laughs, embarrassed.

"Yea. Would you mind if I let somebody listen to this?"

"Uh, yea. I don't see why not," Santana replies.

"I know someone at Warner-Chappell. Now I'm not saying that I can promise anything, but I want her to hear this. She's always open to listening to my recommendations. Let me take down your information in case she wants to talk to you."

Santana stands in shock of how her day had progressed to this. "Um, yea. Okay," she types her number into Eric's phone. "Thank you so much, I kind of don't know what to say."

"It's nothing, really. I'll let you know if I hear anything, and tell Ben I said hello."

"Sounds great, I will," she picks up her case and Eric sees her out.

Santana can hardly contain her excitement as she begins the long walk back to her apartment. The cheesy grin on her face gets stares from people passing by, but Santana doesn't even notice. It's getting close to dinner time, so she stops to pick up burritos on the way. She expects that Brittany is still at work, so she goes to her apartment and puts the food into the oven to keep warm. She runs over to turn the air conditioner on high and strips off her shirt. She heads into the bathroom to take a shower and finds that Brittany is there waiting in the bathtub.

"Holy shit," Santana's mouth drops. "I don't know if I'm terrified or turned on. My heart is beating so fast," she clutches at her chest.

"Come in, the water's cool," Brittany holds her hand out.

Santana peels off her shorts and underwear and takes her hair tie out. She carefully steps into the tub and leans back against Brittany's chest. "You're home early," Santana says.

"Mmm-hmmm, I told you it was going to be a short day," Brittany runs her hands over Santana's arms.

"I'm glad you're here. I have some good news," she replies dreamily as her girlfriend's hands wander lower underneath the water.

"Is that so?" Brittany moves her hand to cup Santana's center.

"Fuck, Britt. Yea," Santana rotates her head to kiss Brittany. She gives her a long open-mouth kiss and pulls away for a breath. "I was at the bar and-"

"Tell me later. Right now I want to do you… hard… in this bathtub," Brittany whispers into her ear. "And I hope you have a mop because this water is going to be all over the floor."

Santana groans and spreads her legs as wide as the tub will allow. She wraps her arm behind Brittany's head, bringing it closer to kiss her. Brittany rubs her fingers over Santana's clit and palms her breast with her other hand. "You feel so good," Santana moans. The water starts sloshing around as Brittany moves her hand faster underwater. She licks at Santana's neck and can feel the girl's hips start moving up into her hand.

"You want more?" Brittany husks.

Santana mumbles a "Yes" and grabs Brittany's hand to push her fingers inside her.

Brittany grins into Santana's neck and curls her fingers. She brings her other hand down to make circles over Santana's clit. Brittany molds her front into Santana's back, pulling the girl into her and pressing harder against her inner walls. Santana leans her head back to rest against Brittany's shoulder and allows the girl to suck hard on her neck.

"Ugh, shit that hurts," she grunts.

Brittany quickly pulls her mouth away and stops her hand motions. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Santana," she apologizes.

Santana grabs at Brittany's hands and face to bring them back to where they were moments ago. "No, good hurt. Keep doing it."

Brittany continues sucking at the same spot to make her mark on Santana. She can feel Santana's walls start contracting and adds another finger. She scissors them slightly and Santana starts moaning once again. "Let go," and with one last thrust, Santana's body goes rigid and water spills over the side of the tub. Brittany helps Santana ride out her orgasm and places small kisses across her shoulders.

"Can you always be here when I get home? Because that was unbelievable," Santana gasps and leans back against Brittany who pauses at those words, wondering what that would be like. To greet each other when they get home from work. To have dinner ready. To go to sleep together every night and wake up beside each other every morning. To share the utility bills and do their weekly grocery shopping together. She smiles at the thought, and Santana notices her silence.

"Hey," Santana turns around to face her. "Where'd you go?"

"Sorry," Brittany shakes her thoughts away. "Just zoned out for a second."

"Well now it's your turn," Santana growls and moves her hand over Brittany's hip.

"No, it's okay," she pulls Santana's hand up to kiss her knuckles. "Later. I wanted to do this for you. Now, where's your mop?"

"In the closet next to my bedroom."

"Great," Brittany steps out of the tub into puddles on the floor. "I'll clean this up and you can tell me your good news." She wraps herself in a towel and holds one open for Santana to step into. Brittany wraps her up and holds on to hug her. "I love you."

"I love you more," Santana kisses her neck.

After the bathroom is back to its clean and tidy state and the two have dressed, Santana takes the burritos from the oven while Brittany takes out plates and utensils. Santana uncaps two bottles of Corona and slices lime wedges, and they sit down on the couch to eat.

"Okay, now go on and tell me already," Brittany says with a mouthful of rice.

"Well, it's not a big deal or anything, and I'm not even sure anything will come of it, but…I kind of…wrote a song about you," Santana looks up at Brittany with her soft, puppy dog eyes.

"You did?" Brittany sets her plate down. "Seriously?"

Santana nods and takes a long swig of her beer.

"Can I hear it?"

"Uh, I guess I could play it but….youmakemekindanervous," Santana mumbles through her breath.

Brittany laughs and grabs Santana's hand. "What was that? I couldn't quite make that out."

Santana runs her fingers through her hair and steels herself. "I said that you make me nervous."

Brittany rubs her thumb over Santana's knee. "Why? I thought we were comfortable enough with each other."

"No, of course we are, and I love you. It's just that I find it easier to sing in front of a bunch of people than just one person. Especially if I'm singing _about_ that one person. I don't know, I'm sorry," Santana looks down at her lap.

"Hey," Brittany tilts Santana's chin up. "It's okay. You don't have to sing it for me. I just feel so lucky that my girlfriend wrote me a song. Come here," she motions for Santana to kiss her. Brittany rubs her hands over her thighs and pulls them onto her lap.

"Oh and I forgot. The song is going to be in Ben's next short film, and he's sending the song to a publisher."

"Oh my god! Santana! That's amazing. I'm so proud of you," she lunges over to wrap Santana in a bear hug. "I knew other people would see what I saw."

"Nothing is definite and who knows, Ben's film could be a total snooze fest," she replies.

"Even if it does totally suck and nothing happens with book thing-"

"Music publisher, not book publisher, Britt," Santana laughs.

"Right. You, Santana Lopez, are on your way to becoming 'OMG-Look-that's-Santana-Lopez'." Brittany kisses her on the cheek and looks into her eyes. "And I love you." She leans over to grab her plate and sets it on Santana's legs.

"Hey, what am I? A dining room table?"

"You make a good table," Brittany takes a bite of her burrito. "I could eat off you all day."

"Just, wanky," Santana smiles and sips her beer.

The next afternoon rolls around, and Santana is at Oscar's preparing for sound check. Three of the acts have already shown up, and she is waiting impatiently for Marcus Young to show. He is already an hour late, and Santana starts panicking that the night is going to be a bust. She calls his manager's number repeatedly, only getting his voicemail each time. The bar has started to fill with patrons for happy hour. Lauren shows up to ask how everything is coming along.

"Great, totally fine. The sound is...sounding good," Santana stammers.

"Fantastic, I've got to do some work in the back. The checks are all set and made out to the performers, so just come get them later."

"Okay, sure," Santana watches Lauren leave and pulls out her phone to call Brittany.

'Hey, babe! I'm just heading out of work now, I can be there in an hour.'

'I'm freaking out, Brittany. The guy, my MAIN guy, hasn't shown up and he's not answering my calls.'

'Calm down, San. I'm sure he's just stuck in traffic .'

'Yea, but what if he's not. What if he doesn't show up? He's the main draw, and if he's not here, neither will his fans. And then I'll be fired and-'

'Santana,' Brittany stops her. 'If he shows up, great. Problem solved. If he doesn't show up, you can get someone to fill his spot. Sure, maybe some people will leave when they realize he's not there, but Lauren knows how hard you worked to put this event together. It's not your fault if some douchebag decides to bail.'

'I guess you're right,' Santana sighs. 'But who would fill in last minute, Rachel?'

'No, you're going to.'


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey everyone, here's the next chapter for ya. I think there might be either 2 or 3 more chapters in this part II. Let me know if you want to see a part III, and if so what you would want to see explored further. Thanks for those that have been reviewing, and thanks for reading!**

'What? No, Britt, I'm not ready'

'Yes, you are. You said it yourself; you're more comfortable singing in front of a bunch of people. Now's your shot.'

Santana starts pacing around the bar. 'I don't know. Ughh, my heart is racing right now. He'll probably show up. Everything will work out. I'm sure I'm freaking out over nothing.'

'Santana, what did you say to me on the day we met?'

'I don't know, I think I remember complimenting your abs…'

'You told me your plan was to come to Los Angeles, play open mics, and become a star. What has changed since then?'

'Nothing changed,' Santana walks into the back hallway to get away from the noise of the fast-filling bar. 'But my job depends on tonight. I can't afford to mess up.'

'How about this? You go up there and sing one song. I'll call Rachel and she can be on stand-by. If you don't feel comfortable continuing, then let her finish the set.'

Santana leans her back against the wall and runs her hand through her hair. 'I think that would work,' she smiles, and her phone beeps signaling an incoming call. 'Oh, Britt, I gotta take this call. I'll see you in a bit?'

'Yup, see you soon. I love you!'

'Love you too,' Santana hangs up and takes the call. 'Hello?'

'Santana Lopez?'

'Speaking.'

'This is Alex, Marcus' manager. Sorry I missed your calls, but Marcus won't be able to make it tonight.'

'Perfect,' Santana shakes her head laughing.

'I'm sorry?'

'Oh, nothing. Well, thanks for letting me know. Hope Marcus isn't like, dead, or something. Have a good night!' she hangs up and knocks on Lauren's office door.

"Come in!"

"Hey, Lauren," Santana cracks the door open and enters. "I just got a call from Marcus Young's manager. He won't be coming after all."

Lauren looks up from her computer and takes off her glasses. "Oh, that's too bad. You said you have a backup right?"

"Uh, yes. I have a backup," Santana replies cautiously.

"Alright, what's the name? I'll post it to the Facebook event, and maybe get some last minute promo."

"The name is….," Santana stalls staring down at her feet. "Um, _santanalopez."_

"Sorry, what was that?"

Santana clears her throat and repeats, "Santana Lopez."

A huge grin appears on Lauren's face. "Well, look at that. Our own Ms. Lopez stepping up to the plate. I'm surprised it took you this long actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, most people in your position would jump at the chance to put themselves in the spotlight. Especially around here."

"I just want the night to be a success, so I wanted to get the best people possible."

"I'm sure everything will go smoothly, and from what I heard of you yesterday, you're going to do great," Lauren starts typing. "So do you have a stage name you would like to do by?"

"Well, I guess I can't go by just my first name. I heard that's taken, so just Santana Lopez."

Later on, Brittany arrives and the two sit together at a table in the back watching the first performer. Santana keeps one eye on the stage in case something goes wrong and one eye on Brittany who is two drinks in. Santana decided to take the second set, afraid that if she went first it would clear the room.

"Hey," Brittany speaks into her ear.

Santana whips her head around, "What?"

"You've got the thinky-frowny face," she points at Santana's lips.

"Sorry, I can't help but be nervous."

Brittany grabs her face with both hands and places a long, wet kiss on Santana's lips. "There. Does that help?"

Santana is still dazed from the surprise kiss, her eyes closed and mouth open. "I, uh…what was the question?"

Brittany laughs and reaches her hand under the table to rub Santana's thigh. "You're going to do great."

"So Rachel should be here soon, right?"

"Oh, yea! Totally, I'll send her a quick text to see where she is," Brittany pulls out her phone.

"Maybe I should have just one drink to loosen up," Santana gets up to head to the bar. "Ben! Whiskey soda STAT!" she elbows her way into a spot at the bar.

"Hey, Santana!" Ben starts fixing her drink. "Eric told me how great your song came out. He was really impressed. Wouldn't shut up about it."

"No way. Really?"

"Yea," he places the glass on the bar. "I can't wait to hear it with the lyrics and everything."

Santana takes two gulps from the drink and stops for a breath. She thinks to herself that maybe she should play that song tonight. With Brittany here it's the perfect opportunity to debut the song. She notices the guy on stage is nearing the end of his song. "Well, Ben, I guess you're gonna get to hear it now." She knocks back the rest of the whiskey and walks up the side of the stage.

After Santana sees the opener off with a round of applause, she prepares for her set during the short change-over. Brittany goes up to the stage while Santana is tuning her guitar.

"Miss Lopez, can I get your autograph?"

"I believe I already gave you my autograph, but you went and washed it off your arm."

"I didn't want to! I tried to avoid it getting wet for a few days. That was the first time you gave me butterflies," Brittany says while reaching her hand out to touch Santana's hip.

"Want to know a secret? I spent that whole morning, the day we met, trying to find some way to touch you without being a total creeper."

"That's strangely sweet in a stalkery kind of way."

"So where's Rachel?"

"Oh, she's on the way."

"Great, okay, I think I should get started," Santana stands from the stool.

"Break a leg, babe," Brittany stands on her tip toes to kiss Santana.

"Thanks. I'll see you later," she replies with a wink.

"Alright, everyone. Welcome back to Acoustic Night here at Oscar's. The next act is going to be, well myself. I'm Santana Lopez, and here's a song I wrote about that girl in the back."

Santana fixes the microphone in front of her face and takes a moment to breathe. She starts the mid-tempo fingerpicking and lifts her head to sing.

_Nine am, started off with a weary head_

_Found some reason to get out of my bed_

_Down the stairs and out the door_

_People rushed to the corner store_

_No one looked me in the eye, but now I said_

_Now I say_

_That it's hard to think of a time when we_

_We weren't in love, oh and I can see_

_That time for us is all I need_

_I need_

_So it's you and me_

_From the start, we were never apart_

_With a dreamless reality_

_No need for sleep_

_And I can no longer see what I used to be_

_It was life full of misery_

_I don't want to live without _

_You here with me_

_And it's hard to think of a time when we_

_We weren't in love, oh and I can see_

_That time for us is all I need_

_I need_

Santana hadn't realized it, but during the song the loud din of the bar had quieted. The patrons had stopped their conversations, turned around in their chairs and bar stools, and listened to Santana sing. As her last chord rang out, the applause started. She even elicited a loud "woooo" from a couple groups in the back. She looked to left corner and saw Brittany, standing and clapping with the biggest smile on her face.

"Thank you," she speaks into the mic. She looks back to Brittany who is wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Santana locks eyes with her and waves her up to the stage. Brittany looks confused, but eventually starts walking towards her. Santana covers the mic with her hand and leans down to speak into Brittany's ear.

"I love you, Brittany."

The girl puts her hand on Santana's shoulder and pulls behind her neck. She gives her a quick peck, "That was amazing, Santana. I loved it, and I love you too. And just FYI, Rachel isn't coming so you have to keep on playing."

Santana laughs into Brittany's shoulder. "Oh you're going to pay for that later."

"Mmm, I can't wait," Brittany gives her one last hug and goes back to her chair.

Santana finishes out her set with a couple covers to everyone's delight. After each song she receives an enthusiastic response, and the bar keeps on filling with people. The adrenaline pumping through Santana's veins has her feeling on top of the world and so happy that Brittany convinced her to go through with it. She already has so many reasons to be joyful with her life, and with this new found confidence in her singing, Santana can't imagine things getting any better. She introduces the next performer, and heads back to sit with Brittany. She plops down in her chair to find her girlfriend with a pale, white face. Her eyes are glossed over and she sits rigidly.

"Britt?" Santana touches her shoulder, and the girl flinches. "Hey, babe, what's wrong?"

Brittany slowly turns her head to face Santana. "Oh, I, um…I got a message from my parents. They're coming to visit in a month."

"Hey, it'll be alright. Remember what I told you."

"No I know, San," she breathes a deep sigh. "I just, I'm thinking it over and over in my head how I could tell them about me and us, and it's just …ugh, you know?"

"You'll find a way, I promise you," Santana scoots her chair closer to Brittany and kisses the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry yourself too much."

Brittany nods her head, and returns a kiss to Santana's cheek.

"Do you want to head home?"

"Yea."

Santana stands and holds her hand out to Brittany.

The weekend finally rolls around, and Brittany and Santana are fast asleep Saturday morning. With her arm wrapped tightly around Santana's waist, Brittany snores softly into her neck. The sun peeks through the curtain of Brittany's bedroom and a fan whirs in the corner, putting a light breeze on the couple. The serenity of the morning is broken when Rachel decides to make a banana kale smoothie.

"Monkeys in diapers!" Santana shoots straight up in bed, causing Brittany to fall against the bed.

"What? What's happening?" Brittany rubs her eyes awake.

Santana starts to become more and more aware of her surroundings. "Did I just say something?" she croaks with her morning voice.

Brittany closes her eyes and rests her head on Santana's pillow. "You said something about diaper monkeys," she mumbles.

"Right, I dreamt we needed to put diapers on all the monkeys, but they wouldn't stop doing somersaults," Santana falls back next to Brittany. "Why does she have to use that stupid blender? I'm going to throw it off the balcony."

"Maybe she made extra for us. You like kale, remember we had those kale chips? You liked them," Brittany says while stroking Santana's back.

"The kale chips were covered in salt. I'll eat anything that salty," Santana responds.

"Wanky," Brittany deadpans.

"Hey," Santana turns towards the girl, "that's my line."

Brittany leans forward to kiss her nose and leans onto her forearms. "I learned from the best. Now, let's get up. I want to do something aerobic today."

"I've got quite a few ideas," Santana wriggles her eyebrows.

Brittany throws the covers and hops out of bed, pulling Santana with her. "Didn't you get enough last night?"

"Never!" Santana stands up from the bed and reaches behind Brittany to grab her butt. "I could never get enough of you."

"Mm," Brittany moans. "Me too, but I was thinking we could go for a hike today."

"Where? I don't think I could handle Griffith today. Cranberry vodka number five last night tells me so."

"Alright, we'll do the short Runyan loop then," Brittany turns to throw on some running shorts.

"Fine, but only because I love you so damn much."

The two girls start up the path in the bright summer sun. Given that it's a Saturday, it's quite crowded with people and their dogs.

"Aw, San. Look at that little one!" she points to a beagle puppy. "You think we'll ever get a dog someday?"

Santana looks to Brittany with a smile, "Maybe. I've never had one before."

"Never?"

"No, I think I'd like one though. Maybe someday….when we have our own place."

Brittany keeps on walking to keep up with Santana's paces. "Our own place?"

"Yea, why do you plan on getting rid of me someday?"

Brittany slides her hand around Santana's waist to give her a side hug. "Never."

They reach the steeper section of the canyon. Santana is a few feet in front of Brittany and stops to look behind her.

"Wow, Brittany. I will never get over this view," she looks down at the city below.

"Yea, my boobs are a pretty great view," Brittany points to the cleavage that her tank top reveals.

"Can't argue with that," Santana lifts her sunglasses from her eyes and gets a closer look as Brittany steps up next to her. They turn to look at the view, and Santana puts her arm around her girlfriend.

"It's so beautiful today."

Santana turns to kiss Brittany's temple. "Thank you for taking me here."

"Well it took much convincing, lazybones."

"No, I mean for taking me to this city, and for making me so happy."

Brittany rests her head on Santana's. "You make me happy too."

"C'mon," Santana grabs her hand and leads her up the mountain. They start getting out of breath as the hill gets a bit steeper and rockier. "You doing alright back there, Britt?"

"Yea! Right behind you," Brittany yells. "I can't believe you're faster than me. I didn't even drink last night!"

"I can't help it that my body is in top form," Santana shouts.

"Ugh! It's so damn true, but I still want to win!"

"It's not a contest, Britt. Take your time," Santana responds before she hears a shriek from behind her.

**A/N: Santana's song is one that I wrote. I debated using a popular song with better lyrics, but I feel that using a known song takes away a bit of realism from a story. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm still working out what part III would entail, so any suggestions are still welcome. Thanks to those who said they liked the lyrics to Santana's song. To the person who asked to hear the song: I don't have it recorded since I don't have any good sound equipment, and I don't consider myself a singer in the least. But maybe sometime I can record a bit of the guitar so you can get the feel of it. If I do, I'll post it to my tumblr (which I just finally got around to using) My username is .com . I need some Brittana people to follow! Thanks for reading and please review if you'd like!**

"Britt!" Santana yells as she turns around. She finds her girlfriend on the ground, clutching her knee.

"San! Ugh, it really hurts!" Brittany wails.

Santana rushes down the mountain, careful to not slip on the sandy rocks. "Shit, Brittany. Where does it hurt?" She puts her arms behind her to help her sit up.

"I felt my knee pop. I can't move it," Brittany starts to sob into Santana's shirt.

"Okay, put your arms around my neck," she replies and moves her hand under Brittany's thighs.

"What are you-"

"I'm getting you down off this mountain," Santana braces her legs as she lifts Brittany into a cradle.

"I'm too heavy for you," Brittany whines.

A couple comes up behind them. "Hey! Is she okay?" the man shouts.

"She hurt her knee. I'm not sure what happened," Santana explains as Brittany tucks her head into the girl's neck trying to stave off the pain.

"Do you want us to call an ambulance?"

"No!" Brittany groans. "Just take me, San."

"Are you sure, Britt? If it's really bad, an ambulance will get you the hospital faster than I can."

"I want you to take me."

The man puts away his phone and turns back to Santana. "Will you be okay to carry her?"

Santana nods her head and starts back down the slope, taking small steps. As they make their way downhill, they keep passing other hikers. They either stare or try to help. Eventually Santana just ignores them. Brittany's cries have subsided, and she just keeps her face in Santana's neck. The slope starts to get flatter, and Santana can move a bit quicker. Her forearms are burning, but she barely even notices. Minutes later, they reach Brittany's car on the street.

"Where are your keys, Britt?"

"In the little pocket inside my shorts."

"Okay, I have to set you down now. Careful," Santana leans Brittany against the car. "Hold onto me." Brittany rests her arms on her shoulder as Santana pulls on her waistband discretely to find the pouch holding the keys. "Got it."

Santana helps Brittany into the passenger seat, and she speeds down side streets rushing to the hospital.

After waiting in the emergency room for over an hour, Brittany is finally seen by a doctor. She goes in for an x-ray, and Santana sits dutifully in the waiting room. She takes out her phone to pass them time, but her mind worries itself over Brittany. Then she notices a voicemail from an unknown number. She goes into the corner of the room away from the noise, and dials her voicemail.

'Hi, Santana. This is Mary Darrows at Warner-Chappell. Sorry to call you on a Saturday. Your friend Eric sent me one of your songs, and if you can, I would like to meet with you sometime this week. Give me a call on Monday. My office number is 323-555-1983. Look forward to hearing from you.'

Santana saves the message and puts her phone in her pocket. "Holy fuck," she blurts. An elderly woman next to her gives her a side-eye. "Sorry, ma'am. I mean… jeepers wow." She sits back down in the chair in disbelief and can't keep herself from grinning.

A half hour later, Santana sits by Brittany's bedside as she waits for the doctor to return with the results. "How are you feeling now?"

"It's all numb and fuzzy," Brittany replies dreamily.

"Okay, looks like the drugs have kicked in! That's good," Santana runs her hand over Brittany's forearm. "I'm so sorry, Brittany."

She turns her head on the pillow to face Santana. "Why? You didn't push me or somethin'."

"I know," Santana laughs. "I just wish, I don't know, I had stopped it from happening somehow."

"It's okay," Brittany wraps her hand around Santana's. "It's my own fault."

Santana lifts their hands to place a kiss to the back of Brittany's. "Maybe it won't be so bad, just a sprain or something."

Brittany shakes her head, "No, I've done that before. This felt different."

The curtain is pulled back as the doctor returns with a clipboard. "Alright, Miss Pierce. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she replies. "I like your drugs. Who's your dealer?"

"Britt," Santana giggles. "Listen to the doctor."

"It looks like the outer edge of your meniscus is torn. Now, it is a moderate tear. Generally with small tears, surgery is not necessary. This one, however, is a bit larger, so I would suggest having it repaired."

"How long will it take to heal? I'm a choreographer," Brittany responds.

"Given that your job requires great movement of your knee, it could take anywhere from three to six months before you could be back to full speed." Santana reaches her hand over and interlocks her fingers with Brittany's. "If you were to not have the surgery, you could try rehabilitation and rest. You could be back to work sooner; however, you may run the risk of tearing it again."

Brittany looks to Santana. "What should I do?"

"You should do what feels right, Britt. Don't worry about work," Santana replies. "Just get yourself better."

"They're going to kill me," Brittany drops her head back against the pillow. "I'll do the surgery."

"Alright, I will schedule the soonest possible time. I'll be right back," the doctor leaves and closes the curtain.

"Ugh," Brittany throws her arm over her eyes. "Why? Why, why, why."

"Hey," Santana gets up from her chair to sit on the edge of the bed facing Brittany. She reaches her arm up to pull it away from the girl's face. "No feeling sorry for yourself, alright?" Brittany's eyes are welling up, and Santana brushes her thumbs underneath to catch the first tears. "You are strong enough to get through it; you'll be back on your feet before you know it."

Brittany holds onto Santana's wrists in front of her. "I'm just wondering what my boss is going to say. You don't get worker's compensation if you're fucking around outside of work. It's my own fault."

"You don't know that. It was an accident. Maybe the rules aren't so strict. Call him when we get home," Santana replies.

"Okay," Brittany sniffles. "Could I stay at your place for a little while?"

"Of course, Britt," Santana tucks a piece of hair behind Brittany's ear. "I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself, hobblin' around everywhere. Or leave you with Rachel who would probably smother you to death."

"Oh god," Brittany laughs. "She totally would. I'd be sleeping and she'd wake me up to ask me if I need another pillow to sleep."

The curtain is once again pulled back by the doctor. "Alright, how's this Monday? A patient had to postpone, so there's an opening."

"Good, the sooner the better."

"Ok, Miss Pierce. Let's get you discharged."

After the obstacle that was getting Brittany into the car, out of the car, and up the stairs to Santana's apartment, the girls are exhausted. Santana went to Brittany's place to get her some clothes, toiletries, her laptop, and some food, while Brittany left her boss a voicemail explaining her accident. Santana cooked some stir fry and gave her girlfriend dinner in bed.

"That was so gooood," Brittany drops her fork into the bowl. "I'm going to burst. Thank you for dinner and for taking care of me today."

"You are so welcome," Santana puts her bowl on the bedside table and turns on her side.

"Really, you were like a superhero," Brittany grins and reaches her hand towards Santana. "You carried me down a freaking mountain," she clasps her hand around her bicep. "I knew you were strong, but-"

"Yea, I guess I'm pretty awesome," Santana flexes. "What would my superpower be?"

"That's a tough one," Brittany leans her head back to size up Santana. "I think you would have more than one. Like super strength plus hypnosis."

"Why hypnosis?"

"Because just one look from you, and I would do anything you say," Brittany says and curls her arm through Santana's.

"Ditto," Santana leans up to kiss Brittany and tucks her head into the crook of the girl's neck. "Ooh, I think it's bath time," she leans away and smells herself. "For me as well."

"Ugh, normally I would be sprinting across the bedroom while tearing my clothes off. This is so not sexy this time."

"We'll both be naked?" Santana walks around to Brittany's side of the bed.

"I can't complain about that."

"We'll just have to find something to wrap your brace in so it doesn't get wet, and find something to rest your leg on."

"Killing the mood, San," Brittany throws her arms up to latch around Santana's neck.

"Sorry."

The rest of the weekend is spent with Santana waiting hand and foot on her girlfriend, and she loves every second of it. Rachel attempts to be of assistance, as does Sarah, but Santana won't have any of it. Although, she accepts the food Rachel brings over, despite the lack of meat or cheese appearing anywhere in the dish. Even Sarah's cat, Dexter, comes out of hiding to sit on Brittany's lap.

Monday morning rolls around quicker than Brittany may have liked. Santana lays awake before her alarm goes off and before the sun has risen. She wonders whether she should tell Brittany about the phone call from the lady at Warner-Chappell. Santana already feels bad that she hasn't told her yet, but she wants to focus on taking care of Brittany right now. She looks to the girl asleep next to her. Her knee is propped up and padded with pillows. Her hair is messy across her face. There is a light sheen of sweat across her collarbone from the hot summer night. Santana wants to be there to take care of her always.

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"No," Brittany sighs with grogginess. "Sleep more now."

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"C'mon, Britt," Santana turns off the alarm. "Big day ahead. The sooner you get your knee fixed, the sooner we can have some crazy knee-bending sex."

"Wait, I won't be able to have sex for three whole months?" Brittany's eyes widen in panic.

"I never said that," Santana gets out of bed and throws her hair up into a bun. "I can think of plenty of ways in which you won't have to move a muscle. Now let's go, babe."

Santana pulls into the hospital parking lot and can tell that Brittany is nervous. She turns off the engine and rests her hand on Brittany's thigh. "You'll be awake before you even knew you were asleep."

"I've just never been under anesthesia before."

"It's just like taking a lot of Nyquil and passing out. Sort of," Santana replies and opens her door. She runs around the other side and gets the crutches from the back seat. She helps Brittany out of the seat, and leads her into the hospital. After getting checked in, Santana sees her off with a quick kiss and an 'I'll see you when you wake up. It will only feel like five minutes from now, I promise.' Brittany gives a small wave as she is wheeled off to surgery.

Santana waits until her girlfriend disappears around the corner to go back to the waiting room. She pulls out her phone and dials the Mary Darrows. Her knee is bouncing frantically and she chews at her fingernails.

'Hello, Mary speaking.'

"Hi, um, this is Santana Lopez returning your call."

'Santana! Hi, thanks for getting back to me. Listen, I would really like to meet with you today if possible. I've got meetings all afternoon, but I'm free for the next hour. Could you stop by last minute?'

"I, um," Santana ponders whether she can make it back in time, "where is your office?"

'10585 Santa Monica.'

Santana mentally maps out the distance from the hospital, and luckily it's only a couple miles. "I can leave right now."

'Fantastic, the receptionist will show you to my office. There's parking underneath the building.'

"Great, I'll uh, see you soon then."

'Bye, Santana.'

She hangs up the phone and makes a quick plea to the universe that she will make it back before Brittany gets out of surgery.

She speeds down the Beverly Hills side streets to avoid mid-day traffic and pulls into the Warner-Chappell parking lot ten minutes later. She runs into the front lobby, "Mary Darrows?"

"Are you alright, is there some emergency?" the young man replies.

"Sorry, I just have a meeting and I'm in a hurry. Where is it?"

"Third floor- room 302. I'll let her know you're on your way, what's your name?"

"Santana Lopez," she heads for the stairs. "Thanks!"

She reaches the third floor, winded, and looks around for the right office. "300, 301, 302," Santana reaches her hand up to knock, but first runs her hands through her hair and wipes a bit of sweat from her forehead. "Okay."

*Knock-knock-knock*

"Come in!"

Santana slowly opens the door to find Mary, a woman in her fifties with slightly graying black hair, at her desk. "Hi," Santana shyly greets her.

"Miss Lopez, come on in! Have a seat," she stands up to shake Santana's hand. "Let's get right to it shall we?"

"That would be perfect. I kind of left my girlfriend at the hospital. Sorry, that sounds terrible. I mean, she's totally unconscious and in surgery. Not life threating surgery! I didn't like leave my dying girlfriend alone at the hospital or something. Okay, I'll just stop talking now," Santana sits and fidgets with her hands.

Mary laughs at Santana's nervousness. "I can see your time is limited. So here's the deal. I really liked what I heard of your song. Many others here in the office liked it as well. I think you have quite potential, so," Mary pulls out a packet from next to her computer, " I would like to make you a Warner-Chappell writer."

"Wait," Santana responds dumbfounded.

"Now, being that you only have one song under your belt, I can't offer you the usual publishing deal that I normally would, but we can see how this goes, if it's a good fit for both of us," Mary hands over the packet. "Inside is a contract. Now, I don't want you to sign this now, okay? Look it over, read it carefully, and have a lawyer take a look at it if you like."

"This is, I'm sorry, I don't know what a stroke feels like, but it might be something like this," Santana laughs. "This is crazy."

"Not crazy," Mary smiles. "And I hope it's not a stroke or else you'll end up lying next to your girlfriend in the hospital."

Santana scans her eyes over the first page of the document. "This is like a real contract."

"Welcome to the music industry. It's kind of fun, right?"

"Yea, I just never thought I could really be a part of it," she continues reading and comes across a sentence that reads:

_…Upon signing of this contract, writer will be paid an advance of $55,000 to be recouped through…._

"Oh my god," Santana covers her mouth. "No, this is-"

"I know, like I said it's a bit smaller than the usual advance for-"

"Thank you!" Santana stands up and reaches her hand out towards Mary. "Thank you so much, this is more than I could ever imagine," Santana tries with all her might to hold in her tears.

"I really look forward to hearing what songs you've got inside there waiting to come out," Mary shakes her hand. "Remember, read it carefully. Due diligence, right?" Santana shakes her head in agreement and wipes the corner of her eye. "Call me if you have any questions, and come back and see me when you make your decision."

"Okay, I will."

"Now, get out of here before your girlfriend wakes up."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks again for reading and reviewing. The next part of this fic might take a bit longer between chapters. I've got a busy month coming up, but I will try my best to update as soon as I can. Suggestions still welcome as always. Enjoy!**

Santana takes the stairs two at a time down to the first floor, clutching the folder tight to her chest. She rushes to the vast parking garage. She momentarily forgets where she parked in the rush to get back to Brittany.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," she hits the unlock button on the starter and hears the beep from two aisles away. "There you are!" She sidesteps between parked cars and throws herself into the driver's seat. Santana peels out of the garage and heads back east on Santa Monica Boulevard. She glances at the clock on the dash while catching her breath. "Damn, I wish I knew how long knee surgeries take."

She pulls the car up to a red light and looks to the folder on the passenger seat. She runs her fingers over the raised Warner logo. "How," she whispers and traces the 'W'. She feels her eyes start to water when the car behind her honks, as the light changed green. Santana wipes the corner of her eye and presses the gas pedal. As she drives down the boulevard, she wonders how her life is going to change completely. For over five years, she had to live each day in fear that everything would crumble apart eventually. The thought that maybe she would no longer have to live with worry burned into the front of her mind is completely foreign to Santana. As she drives through residential Beverly Hills, this realization floors her. She pulls the car to the side of the road and breaks down weeping. Her eyes overflow with tears and sobs escape her mouth. For the first time in her life, Santana cries tears of joy. She covers her face and leans against the steering wheel, letting the weight she has carried on her shoulders finally lift away.

"Pull it together, Lopez." Soon she catches her breath and wipes her cheeks with her sleeve. She checks the side view mirror and pulls back out into the road.

Back at the hospital, Santana rushes back to the floor where Brittany was taken into surgery. "Hi," she walks up to the nurse's station. "Um, is Brittany Pierce still in surgery?"

"Just a sec, sweetie," the woman continues typing. "Pierce, you said?"

"Yes."

"She is still in surgery. You can wait just down the hall if you'd like?"

"Um, there's a gift shop here right?"

"Yes, on the third floor plaza."

"Thanks," Santana turns back to the elevators. She hits the down button and checks her wallet for how much cash she has on hand. The doors open and she hits '3'. She counts her bills, "One, two, three, eight….and twenty-five, thirty-five, thirty-nine cents." The doors open to the third floor, and Santana spots the gift shop. It's filled with all the typical items. All the flower arrangements are too expensive, so she checks the back of the store. There are balloons with "Get Well Soon" and "Hope You Feel Better", but the messages feel cold and don't ring true to how Santana feels about Brittany. She wishes there was a balloon that read "I Will Spend Every Waking Moment Trying to Make You Feel Better." She looks up and down the shelves of trinkets and greeting cards. She spots some tiny stuffed animals and sees a puppy just like the one they saw when hiking. Santana checks the tag, "$6.99. Perfect." She buys it, and heads back up to wait for Brittany.

"I seriously underestimated how long this would take," Santana mutters to herself an hour later. She runs hand over her eyes. She flipped through each magazine next to her twice already. She filed her nails as short as she could. The nerves start to get to her, and she bounces her knee up and down. A young boy about the age of six is sitting three chairs down is playing with a toy train. He runs it back and forth over the armrest until it flies off and lands next to Santana's feet.

"Oh! Here you go, buddy," she picks up the train and reaches over to give it back to him.

"Thanks," he blushes.

"You like trains, huh?" she shifts in her seat to face him. The boy nods his head. "What's your name?"

"Aiden."

"That's a great name. Mine's Santana," she replies.

"Banana?"

"San-Tana," she emphasizes.

"That's a funny name," Aiden crawls around his seat to run the train over the wall.

"I guess so," Santana laughs. "Well it's nice to meet you, Aiden," she turns back around.

"Is your brother sick too?" he puts his toy down.

"No," Santana shakes her head. "That's why you're here, huh?"

"Yea," Aiden speaks softly. "My mom says he's gonna be better soon."

"I bet he will be. Where is your mom?"

The boy points across the waiting room to the woman sitting with an iPad. She looks up and notices the two watching her. Santana waves and says, "You've got a cute kid."

"Thanks, I think so too. He's not bothering you, is he?"

"No, not at all."

"Why are you here then?" Aiden pipes up next to Santana.

"Well, my, uh, girlfriend hurt her knee. So she's getting it fixed," she eyes Aiden's mother from the corner of her eye for any sort of reaction to the word 'girlfriend'. There is none as the woman is back to swiping at the iPad screen.

"Girlfriend? Like a boyfriend?"

"Yes, kind of like that. She's just a girl, not a boy."

"So you live together like my Mom and Dad?"

"Not yet, but soon I hope."

"I think you should 'cause that's what my Mom and Dad did and so you should too," Aiden rambles. "And then you get a dog and have babies."

"Oof, that's a lot of things," Santana laughs.

"But that's what you do," he replies.

"Is that so?"

"Yup," he swings his legs over the edge of the chair.

"I guess I've got some work to do then. Thanks for the advice, Aiden."

"Mm-hm," he grabs his train.

Twenty minutes later, Santana goes back to the nurse's station to ask about Brittany.

"She's in room 512," the woman responds.

"Oh, thanks!" she rushes down the hall.

She slows down around the corner and spots room 512. Santana creeps into the shared room past an older man sitting with his wife. She gives them a small wave and comes up around the curtain to Brittany. She is asleep with her head tilted towards the window. Santana watches her for a moment, then picks up the chair in the corner and places it next to the bed. She sets the stuffed dog on the table, and reaches over to hold Brittany's hand over the covers. Santana rests her other arm on the bed, leaning on her elbow and watches Brittany's chest move up and down steadily. She drags her thumb across the back of the girl's hand until her phone beeps in her pocket.

"Shit," Santana whispers. Brittany starts to shift in her sleep. She pulls out her phone and sees that it's only a message from Rachel asking when they'll be back because she wants to bring over some dinner for them. Santana puts the phone away and looks up to see blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hey," Brittany rasps. "You're here."

"Of course," Santana pushes her chair closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Weird. Like I'm underwater but I can breathe and it doesn't sound all watery."

"Sounds awesome," Santana laughs. "So your knee doesn't hurt?"

"Just a little."

"You were in there a while, I started to get a little worried."

"Aw, babe," Brittany grabs her hand. "I'm still here."

Santana smiles and lifts their joined hands to kiss Brittany's knuckles. "And that makes me so, so happy."

"Mmm, I love you."

Santana stands up to lean over the bed and give Brittany a deep kiss. "I love you too," Santana sits on the edge of the bed instead of sitting back down. "So much," she gives her another kiss on the forehead.

"Even if I lose my job and become a deadbeat?"

"Britt, that's not going to happen."

"But what if it does? Then I can't get another dancing job for a half a year, and I'm not qualified for anything else. I won't be able to pay rent-"

"Babe, listen. Don't worry about that now. Worst case scenario, you can always stay with me in my apartment," Santana reassures her. She debates telling her the big news right at this moment. She wants to say that money won't be an issue for them in the near future. However, it doesn't feel right to tell her when she's on a bit of painkillers and all worried over possibly losing her job that she loves.

"Really?"

"Totally, I really liked having you there all day," Santana grins. "Oh, Rachel said she's bringing over dinner later. But if you're not in the mood for her vegan concoctions, I can get us something on the way home."

"I want a burger," Brittany groans.

"Me too. In-n-Out it is then! Sorry, Rachel," Santana pulls out her phone to respond to Rachel's text. "Oh, and I got you something," she reaches for the stuffed animal.

"Cute! I love it, Santana, but you didn't have to buy me anything. You're here with me; that's all I need."

"I know, but I just saw it and thought of that dog we saw at Runyon. Plus I had a few extra dollars to spare." It is getting harder for Santana to not tell Brittany about her meeting this morning. "So, until we can get a real dog…"

"I can't wait," Brittany smiles and squeezes the stuffed puppy.

Brittany is finally discharged later that afternoon. A nurse wheels her out, and Santana walks by her side as they exit the hospital. Santana leaves to pull the car up next to the sidewalk. "Your chariot, m'lady."

"You are such a dork," Brittany laughs. Santana helps her stand from the wheelchair and the nurse hands her the crutches.

"I got it from here, thanks," Santana waves to the nurse. She opens the passenger door, slides the seat all the way back, and eases Brittany into the car. Santana gets in and slams the door.

"Could you get my phone from my bag?" Brittany asks.

"Sure," Santana reaches to the backseat and rifles through the front pocket. "Here."

"Thanks, babe," she turns on the phone. "There's two new voicemails."

Santana starts the car and pulls out of the hospital parking lot as Brittany listens to the first voicemail. "It's my mom…they're coming Labor Day weekend." Santana runs her hand over Brittany's thigh, silently assuring her it will be alright. "Okay. Next one's got to be my boss." Her face is unmoving, and Santana tries to read any emotion from her peripheral vision. Brittany then lets out a big sigh and hangs up her phone.

"So?"

"Yup, that was my boss. He said that since I was hiking it constituted exercise which is necessary for my job as a choreographer and dancer. He said he totally understands that it's not my fault. And I'll be on paid leave until I'm ready to come back."

"That's great!"

"Yea, it's a big relief," Brittany runs her hands through her hair.

"Wait, why don't you seem way happier right now? This is what you wanted," Santana weaves her fingers through Brittany's.

"I am happy. I love my job, and I'm so glad I get to stay. It's just…"

"What?" Santana jostles their hands.

"It's dumb."

"Brittany, you can tell me."

"I guess part of me kind of wanted to hear bad news."

"Why?" Santana is completely confused at this change. "I don't get it."

"It's not that I wanted to be fired," Brittany looks at Santana, "but if I was, then I was going to get to live with you."

"Britt," Santana smiles.

"It's dumb, I know. It's way too soon."

"In case you haven't notice, we have kind of been doing everything a lot sooner than most couples. And everything has worked out up until now, right?"

"Yea, it has."

"Right," Santana pulls the car into the In-n-Out parking lot. She shuts off the engine and faces Brittany. "It's not dumb to want to live together because I want that too."

Brittany's face brightens and she grabs Santana's shirt to pull her close for a kiss.

"And there's been something else I've wanted to tell you all day," Santana reaches behind her seat for the folder. She places it in Brittany's lap.

"What's this?"

"It's going to help us get our own place."

"Wait, what?" Brittany flips open the folder and glances at the contract. "Is this…?"

"They want to sign me as a writer. 5 songs for $55,000…plus more if the songs make more than that."

"Oh my god, Santana!" she attempts to lunge towards her girlfriend.

"Don't move, Britt. You'll hurt yourself," Santana leans over to kiss her cheek. "Look, I want to get us our own apartment; someplace nice that we can call _our_ home."

"Santana, I am so proud of you," she brings her hand up to Santana's cheek and strokes it with her thumb. "I knew someone was going to see how special and talented you are," Brittany's eyes shimmer with tears.

"So what do you say?"

"I want to live together," Brittany says, "more than anything."

Santana grins and leans over to kiss her. Brittany moans into her mouth and threads her fingers in Santana's hair. "You just made me the happiest girl in the world," Santana says as she pulls back for air.

"I don't know, that lady sitting on the patio seems to _really_ be enjoying that double-double," Brittany points behind Santana.

"Nope, nothing can compare," Santana leans in for another kiss. "I can't wait to live with you."

"Me too," Brittany cups her cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now what can I get you for dinner?"

"Whatever you're having. Plus a strawberry shake!" Santana grabs her credit card and gets out of the car. "Wait, let me buy it, San."

Santana leans back through the open car window. "Not a chance, babe."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey everyone! I want to again thank those who have reviewed, it makes me smile! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, and if there's anyone good with photoshop that would be interested in making a "poster" for this fic, that I can use as the story image, PM me or message me on tumblr (b-b-burntoshine). I'm tired of the gray face, and I'm useless with photoshop :)**

"I've got to unlock it, Britt," Santana fumbles with her keys as Brittany attempts to open the door while leaning on her crutches.

"I knowww. I just want to lie down," Brittany leans her head against the door frame.

Santana unlocks the door and holds it wide open. "Let's get you settled on my bed and I'll put the burgers onto plates. You can take another pill now if you need to." Brittany makes her way down to Santana's bedroom. "Do you need any help, Britt?"

"No, I'm fine!" she leans the crutches against the wall next to the bed and carefully maneuvers herself onto the fluffy mattress. She reaches into her pocket and uncaps the bottle of painkillers, dry swallowing a pill. Then Brittany takes out her phone to respond to her parent's message. She sends them a quick text which reads-

'Back from the hospital, everything went fine. See you in 2 weeks!'

She thinks to herself that she should probably call her parents instead of texting, but she is afraid of all the questions that might pop up if she did. "Who took you to the hospital? Who drove you home? Who is going to help you with day-to-day things?" She could just lie and say Rachel, but she's never been great at lying on the spot. Soon enough she will have to face these kinds of questions in person, but as Santana walks into the room with a tray filled with burgers and fries, all is forgotten.

"Are you comfortable enough?" she sets the tray down on the end of the bed. "I can get another pillow from the closet. I think Sarah has a bunch in there."

"I'm good, San. Now sit. Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Sure," Santana leans over the edge of the bed for her laptop. "Let's see what I have on my queue. Comedy? Animated?"

"I want to watch something…romantic," Brittany says through a mouth full of fries, one hanging out the side.

"You don't say," Santana leans forward to take a bite of the fry. "Hmm, you taste different."

"Gross, San!"

She just grins and goes back to searching for a movie. "How about _Mulholland Drive_? Not exactly romantic, but Naomi Watts gets it on with another chick."

"Sounds fantastic to me."

"Cool," Santana clicks play, grabs her plate, and leans back against the headboard.

"Oh, before the movie starts, we should decide when to tell Rachel and Sarah about us moving out. They might not be too happy about it."

"Yea," Santana sips her soda. "We could give them enough time to find replacements, though. I don't think we should just up and leave immediately. Plus, I want to take our time to find the right place."

"Me too. We can tell them tomorrow night, have Rachel over for dinner."

"Genius," Santana leans to her side to kiss Brittany on the temple. "Let them down easy with chicken, pasta, and wine."

"Lots of wine."

One hour later, Santana leans her body against Brittany's side as they stare at the computer screen.

"I don't understand a god damn thing."

"Oh, thank god. Me neither. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to seem dumb. But what the hell is happening?" Brittany responds.

"I don't know. When are they gonna get it on already? They've been eye fucking for the last half hour."

"Well if you want to see that, why don't we just watch porn?"

"No way, Britt. If we do that I'll need to go take a cold shower."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to sit here next to my girlfriend watching porn and not be able to do anything about it!"

"Who says you can't?"

Santana raises an eyebrow and lies back against her pillow.

"Just because I can't really move doesn't mean you can't have any fun. Hand me the laptop."

Santana smiles ear to ear and passes the computer to Brittany. "Not that I'm not completely turned on right now, but you don't have to do this. Really, I can control myself. We can just watch the rest of this crazy ass movie and go to sleep."

Brittany is clicking away in search of something on the internet. "Actually, this has kind of always been one of my fantasies," she turns to Santana with fierce eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Watching you get yourself off."

"Jesus, Britt," Santana growls.

"Maybe this video," Brittany hands the laptop over, "will help you. She's blonde, just your type," she laughs.

"I'd rather watch you."

"You're missing the foreplay," Brittany points at the screen.

"But aren't you going to get all worked up too? You can't-"

"Don't worry about me. It's still fun whether I get off or not."

"You're the greatest girlfriend in the world," Santana tilts her head up to kiss Brittany on the lips.

"I know," she grins. "Oh, look. She's already got her-"

"Wow," Santana leans back to get more comfortable. "Can we try that once you can bend your knee again?" She lazily drops her hand above the waistband of her pants.

"Aaaa-bsolutely."

They sit in silence watching the two women onscreen. Brittany brings her left hand to the back of Santana's neck, scratching it lightly. As the scene intensifies, Santana dips her hand below her black underwear and starts rubbing circles over her clit. Brittany moves her upper body as close to Santana as she can without moving her leg. She keeps stroking Santana's neck and shoulder while watching how her girlfriend starts grinding her hips up into her own hand. The women in the video start moaning loudly, and the sound echoes throughout Santana's bedroom.

"Mmm," Santana rubs harder at her center and tilts her head back in pleasure. Brittany watches how her mouth drops open and her eyes squint shut. Her breaths become short and her back arches as her arm pumps furiously underneath her pants. "Kiss me," Santana gasps and leans up towards Brittany. She connects the distance and catches Santana's moan as her entire body stills. Her hips thrust a few more times as she rides out her orgasm, keeping their lips together. Santana deepens the kiss, pushing her tongue into Brittany's mouth and softly stroking at its counterpart. Brittany brings her hand behind Santana's head, threading her fingers through the dark locks.

"Wow," Brittany breaks the kiss for air.

"Sorry, I just needed to feel you when I…"

"No apology necessary," she laughs. "That was amazing; just how I always pictured it."

"You pictured it?" Santana turns on her side to face Brittany.

"Duh. I would imagine it when I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep those first couple nights on our road trip."

"Wanky as hell, Britt," Santana shuts the lid of the laptop and gets under the covers. "Well, I'm glad to have been of use to you, as a sleeping aid."

"Who ever said it helped?" Brittany smiles.

The next morning, Santana wakes up to her alarm on vibrate so that she can sneak out of bed. She wants to let Brittany sleep in as long as she can. She throws on sweatpants and a tank top and pads out into the kitchen. Sarah is standing at the kitchen counter, preparing coffee.

"Morning," Santana croaks.

"Hey," Sarah turns around.

"When did you get in last night? I didn't hear you."

"I think it was around 11:30 or so. You want a cup?"

"Sure. Britt and I wanted to cook dinner for everyone. Is that cool?"

"I'm surely never one to turn down a meal."

"Great. It'll probably be around seven," Santana opens the fridge to look for ingredients.

"Awesome, thanks Santana. How's Brittany doing?"

"Good. She slept all through the night. I think the pain meds are doing their job. You don't mind her being here right? If it's a problem, we can stay at her place for a couple nights."

"No, no. Really, it's fine. I'm hardly here as it is. So no biggie. Plus you two are so adorable. It's like watching a rom-com montage in real time." Sarah takes out two mugs from the cupboard.

Santana scribbles a shopping list on to a notepad as Sarah hands her the coffee mug. "Thanks." The two continue to chat for a few minutes. Santana tells her about the publishing deal, to which Sarah congratulates her with a giant hug and a "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Crap," Sarah notices the clock on the oven. "I'm running late." She takes a large gulp of the coffee, "Shit! Motherfu- that's hot. See you tonight!" she pours the rest of the coffee down the drain and shuffles back to her bedroom.

Santana takes goes back into her bedroom, changes into jeans, and throws her hair into a ponytail. Once she gathers her belongings, she kneels down next to Brittany. She brushes the hair from over her right eye and plants a kiss on her forehead. Santana keeps stroking her thumb over Brittany's cheek to wake her up gently.

"Wake up, Britt," Santana whispers.

The sleeping girl slowly opens one eye, then the other. "Sannn," she reaches her arm out to pull her closer.

"You can go back to sleep. I just need to head out to the store to get some things for dinner tonight. Is there anything you need before I go?"

"Kiss," Brittany replies dreamily.

"I meant from the store," Santana laughs and leans up to kiss her girlfriend on the lips.

"No, I'm fine. That's all I wanted."

"Okay, are you comfortable? Do you want to take a pill?"

"I think I'll wait. It doesn't hurt too much right now."

"Good," Santana stands and brings the covers back up to Brittany's shoulders. "I'll be back soon, I promise," she leaves one last kiss on her lips.

"Bye, I love you."

"Love you more."

Later that night, Santana and Sarah's kitchen is filled with the aroma of Italian food. Santana stirs the pasta boiling on the stove as the three other girls sit around the living room sipping red wine.

"Who wants chicken? Everyone but Rachel?"

"Yup!" they all reply.

"Your cat is awesome," Brittany sits in the chair in the corner, holding out her crutch as Dexter the cat swats at it. "I had one when I was living with my parents, but he mostly just laid around."

"Are they still coming for Labor Day weekend?" Rachel asks.

"Yea," Brittany settles back into her chair. "T-minus ten days."

"Have you decided what you're going to tell them?"

"I want to tell them about Santana," Brittany catches her girlfriend's eye as she is plating the food at the table. "I just… I still have no idea how they're going to react."

"Well, no matter what happens, you'll have your friends here."

"Cheers to that," Sarah lifts her glass. "But I hope everything goes well, Brittany."

"Thanks, guys."

"Dinner is served!" Santana unties her apron and throws it down the hall. She goes over to Brittany and helps her up out of the chair.

"This looks amazing, Santana. I didn't know you had it in you," Rachel says as she sits at her plate.

"I'm full of surprises," Santana says, thinking about the next surprise she is about to drop.

The girls settle down into a silence as they fill their mouths full of chicken and pasta. Santana gulps down the rest of her wine and clears her throat.

"Okay, now here's the part where I say there's a reason I invited you here tonight."

"Alright," Rachel laughs nervously.

"I'll cut right to it. Since I am now more financially stable, and because I love this girl so much," she grabs Brittany's hand next to hers, "we are going to move into our own apartment."

"That's so great!" Sarah shouts. "I knew you would go for it eventually. More wine to celebrate!" she reaches for the bottle and tops off their glasses.

"Thanks, Sarah," Brittany replies. "I'm pretty excited about living with this dork."

"Congratulations, you two. I thought for a second you were going to tell us you were getting married," Rachel laughs.

Brittany looks out of the corner of her eye to Santana, looking back at her with a small smile.

"And you know we can find the people to sublet our rooms. You won't have to do any work," Santana insists.

"Or Rachel could move in here," Brittany says through a mouthful of pasta.

Sarah swallows her wine and turns her head. "That's not a bad idea. Rachel? Feel free to say no, I won't be offended."

"Hmm, Santana's bedroom _is_ much larger than mine….Will you guys all help me move my stuff?"

"Absolutely!"

She pauses for a moment, tapping her finger on the glass. "And you'll invite us over to your new place for Karaoke Thursdays?"

"Every Thursday?" Santana chokes and Brittany elbows her. "I mean, yes."

"Alright then, let's do this thing!" Rachel knocks back the rest of her wine.

Over the next two weeks, Brittany spends most of her time in Santana's bed surfing the internet for apartments and playing with Dexter. Santana goes to work at the bar a couple nights and finds a lawyer to look at her contract. He tells her that everything looks standard, so she returns to Mary's office to complete the deal. They look over a timeline for Santana to work towards and get into the types of songs that Mary wants to hear. It still doesn't feel real to Santana, until the moment she receives her advance. Santana had never held a check like that in her hand, and she feels as if any second now someone is going to run up and snatch it from her. She goes straight to the bank and deposits it into a savings account out of that very fear.

Friday night rolls around, and Brittany and Santana are getting ready to meet Brittany's parents at their hotel for dinner. Santana puts on her best pair of earrings that match her turquoise wrap dress. Brittany is sitting and curling her hair. She wears a black skirt that just barely covers her knee brace and a light purple blouse.

"They know I'm coming right?"

"Of course, Santana."

"Just checking," she starts pacing back and forth. "Do you have your purse? Where's my purse?"

"It's on your bed, and yes, I have my purse. Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yea, I'm good. Are you? Let me get your shoes. Which ones are you wearing? The black ones with the straps? Or the-"

"Santana," Brittany interrupts her. "I'm supposed to be the nervous one here."

"I'm sorry," she runs her hands through her hair. "But I'm meeting my girlfriend's parents. It's kind of a big deal. What if they hate me?"

"They could never," Brittany sets the curler down on the vanity.

"What did you tell them when you said I was coming along tonight?"

"I asked them if I could bring someone. They didn't ask who."

"They're not going to be expecting a guy are they?"

"Maybe. I don't care because you are going to charm them the moment they meet you."

"We should have a code or something. Like if you decide you're not going to tell them, just scratch your left earlobe."

"How _James Bond_, but I'm feeling good about tonight."

"Really?" Santana walks over to Brittany sitting.

"Yea, when I woke up this morning next to you… I just thought of how _you _everything to me. We have our own future, and I love my parents, but if they can't accept it, then…I don't know, I'll have you."

Santana leans her hands on the back of Brittany's chair and kisses her softly. "Always," she pecks her lips once more, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

**A/N: I decided to make dinner with Britt's parents its own chapter. Sorry, you'll have to wait a bit longer!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, dinner with the Pierces~ Let me know what you think with a review! Thanks for all the follows and favorites :)**

"What street is it?" Santana slows down the car looking at the street signs.

"Formosa," Brittany replies looking at her phone.

"Okay, almost there I think," Santana notices the girl picking at her rubber iPhone case. "You alright, Britt?"

"Yea," she nods her head. "I just feel a bit anxious; I can't sit still."

Santana takes her right hand off the wheel and grabs Brittany's hand. "Remember what I said."

"What was that?"

"I'll be whoever you need me to be," Santana slows to a red light and turns to kiss Brittany's shoulder. "Just a friend… a co-worker…a straight girl from down the hall who you owed a dinner for helping you to the hospital."

"I don't want you to have to lie."

"I just don't want to say the wrong thing, Britt. What if they ask questions about me?"

"I'll introduce you as my friend," Brittany turns to look at Santana. "If they start asking you about personal stuff, I'll just tell them to stop bugging you."

"Okay, you take the lead and I'll follow. Remember the secret signal if you want to abort the mission."

"Scratch my left ear," Brittany laughs. "How am I supposed to bring up the topic though? I've never had to get serious with them before."

"You could blurt it out while they have a mouth full of food. Then you'll have a couple seconds to gauge their reaction."

"They'll probably end up spitting the food in our direction," Brittany smiles.

"True. Maybe not the best idea, but you'll feel when it's the right time. Don't force it if you're not ready."

"Looks like we're here," Brittany looks out the window to the hotel on their right.

Santana pulls the car up to the valet, hands him the keys, and helps Brittany out of the passenger seat. "Could you get the crutches from the back seat?" Santana asks the valet while she lets Brittany lean against her shoulder.

"Thank you," Brittany says to the young man.

Santana takes both of their purses and leads her girlfriend into the lobby.

"There she is!" a woman with light blonde hair comes running up to Brittany. Behind her stands a tall man with glasses and grey hair.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Brittany says into her mom's hug.

"Hey, darling," Mr. Pierce kisses her cheek. "How's the leg?"

"It's fine, Dad. This is Santana," Brittany motions to her left. "She's the one who took me to the hospital."

"Well, let me be the first to thank you, Santana, for taking care of our baby," Mr. Pierce extends his hand out, and Santana shakes it.

"It was no problem, sir. I'm just glad I was there when it happened and that she wasn't alone."

"Isn't that sweet?" her mom says. "Well we're glad someone could be there for our baby when we couldn't."

"Could we go sit down please? This leaning on crutches is kind of tiring," Brittany adds.

"Sure, hon," Mr. Pierce motions to the host who leads them to their table.

Santana pulls out a chair for Brittany, then glances at her to check if that was a bad move or not. The girl reassures her silently that it wasn't too couply a thing to do. Santana takes her crutches and leans them against a coatrack in the corner.

"I hope you can find something on the menu you girls like," Mrs. Pierce says while taking out her reading glasses.

"Good thing I didn't bring Rachel to this steakhouse," Brittany replies.

"She could have the iceberg wedge without the bleu cheese," Santana laughs.

"Why didn't you invite Rachel, dear? Was she busy tonight?"

"No," Brittany looks over the top of her menu, "I just…wanted to invite Santana." She can feel her face start to flush. "You know, as a thank you for helping me to the hospital."

The waiter in all white and a black tie approaches the table. "Good evening, ladies and gent. My name is Carlos. I will be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"What do you say?" Mr. Pierce asks the table. "Bottle of red? Are you a wine drinker, Santana?"

"I'm an everything drinker, and that sounds lovely," she smiles.

"Great, a bottle of your house red and some water for the table," he says, and Carlos heads off to place the order.

"Thank you for letting me tag along tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce," Santana quietly adds.

"Don't mention it. It's nice to see Brittany making new friends. It seemed she's had the same few for years now," Mr. Pierce responds.

"Dad! You make it seem like I'm a shut-in or something," Brittany interrupts.

"I just mean that you have your close friends, nothing wrong with that. But it's been awhile since you have mentioned a new friend."

Santana notices Brittany start to fidget with her hands under the table, and she wishes she could reach over to calm them. "Well, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones," Santana laughs trying to break the tension.

"How did you meet Brittany?"

"Actually, Mom, I didn't tell you that when I drove out here I wasn't alone."

"Oh, so you knew each other in New York?"

"Not exactly," Santana replies and looks to Brittany, allowing her to explain the rest.

"Ok, but don't freak, Mom. I went online and put up an ad for a ride to LA."

"Brittany, you know how I feel about that kind of thing."

"I know, I know. 'The internet is full of perverts and depraved lunatics,'" Brittany recites what her mother had told her repeatedly over the years.

"I promise you, Mrs. Pierce, I am neither of those things," Santana speaks up.

"I'm sure you aren't dear, but I just wonder what could have happened had someone else responded."

"But nobody else did, Mom. Santana did."

"It's ok, Britt. She's right. Who knows what could have happened, but I'm glad I was the first to respond. I wouldn't be where I am today, that's for sure."

"What do you mean, Santana?" Mr. Pierce asks.

"Oh, umm," she realizes she may have let herself get a little too sentimental and attempts to veer the conversation in another direction. "I just mean that I probably would not have found a ride out here, and I would still be in New York."

"So what do you do out here?" Mrs. Pierce asks her.

"Well, I work at a bar hosting a weekly event and bartending, but I guess now I can officially say that I am a songwriter."

"Well, you don't say?" Mr. Pierce remarks. "I would have bet the whole farm you were an actress."

"A songwriter? Like professionally?"

"Mom," Brittany hushes her, "professional or not, she would still be a songwriter."

"Britt, it's alright," Santana laughs. "Yes, professionally. I just got signed to write five more songs."

"How fascinating! I would love to hear one of your songs."

"I'll send you a copy as soon as I can, Mrs. Pierce."

Carlos returns to the table, and uncorks the bottle, pouring everyone a glass. "Are you all set to order?"

Mr. Pierce rattles off his order, and while Brittany's parents are distracted Santana leans over towards her girlfriend. "Are you doing okay?" she whispers. Brittany gives a hesitant nod.

"For you, miss?"

"Oh, I'll have the, uhhh…. cedar smoked salmon," Brittany closes up her menu.

"And I'll have the petite filet."

"Ooh, that sounds good," Brittany says with envy.

"Would you like to change your order?" Carlos asks.

"She'll have some of mine," Santana responds.

"Thanks," Brittany smiles and holds the smile a little too long. Santana breaks their eye contact and clears her throat. She takes her wine glass in hand, "A toast?"

"Yes, do the honors, Santana," Mr. Pierce replies.

"Okay, um…to family. To the three of you getting to spend this time together."

"Cheers to that," Mrs. Pierce raises her glass towards the middle of the table. The all clinks their glasses and take a sip of wine.

"So where do your parents live?"

"I actually don't speak with my parents."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Mrs. Pierce apologizes.

"No, it's fine. How could you have known?" Santana shrugs. "I haven't seen them in almost seven years."

"We don't have to talk about this, San," Brittany adds. She wants to allow Santana to be honest. At the same time she is afraid to see how her parents would react. Just how would they respond to Santana's parents kicking her out for being gay?

"Aw, dear. I'm so sorry, I won't pry," Mrs. Pierce takes a piece of bread from the basket.

"Yea, let's talk about something else, okay?" Brittany says. "I start physical therapy in a couple weeks."

"Wonderful! Don't push yourself too hard though, Britt."

"I know, Dad."

"I've been telling her the same thing. She always wants to hop from the bedroom to the bathroom without the crutches, but I never let her."

Brittany whips her head to the side, giving Santana a wide-eyed stare. Santana stiffens her posture and races to find a reason why they would be spending so much time in Brittany's bedroom. She comes up with nothing.

"Yea," Brittany speaks up, "Santana, she stayed with me a few days. You know, when I couldn't really move. She brought me food and stuff."

"It sounds like we should be paying you, Santana, with all the help you've been to Brittany."

"It's nothing, really. I don't work during the days, so I was happy to help."

"I have to use the restroom," Brittany takes her napkin off her lap and places it on the table. "Could you get my crutches?"

"Sure," Santana gets up and rushes over to fetch them. She helps Brittany stand and places the crutches under each arm.

"Come with me?"

Santana nods and pushes in their chairs.

"We'll be right back," Brittany says to her parents.

The two girls find their way to the ladies' room. Inside is a small love seat next to the bank of sinks. Brittany throws her crutches to the side and sits down.

"I thought you had to go to the bathroom."

"No," Brittany shakes her head, "I just needed a break."

Santana sits next to her and grabs her right hand. "Okay, let's just sit for a moment."

"I'm just tired of lying and making all these excuses. It's not how I wanted things to go."

"It's alright, Britt," Santana shuffles closer and wraps her arm around her shoulder. "Maybe if you focus on telling them all about your job and stuff, it'll ease your mind a bit. Then you'll be able to feel if the time is right to say it."

"Yea," Brittany brings her hand up to hold onto Santana's arm. "You're probably right."

"I know it," Santana leans her head down to kiss Brittany's hand.

"Is there anyone in here?" Brittany whispers.

They both duck their heads down to look under the stalls. "I don't think so," Santana replies.

"Good," Brittany grabs her face and connects their lips. She deepens it when she feels Santana moan into the back of her throat. Brittany sucks on her lower lip and gives it a small bite before letting go. "Okay, I feel much better now."

"I'm glad to have been of assistance," Santana responds dreamily.

Santana leads Brittany back to the table, nearly slapping a man in the back of the head for not scooting his chair forward to let Brittany through. They get settled and ease back into conversation while starting a second bottle of wine. Most of the talk is about the work Brittany had done before her injury. Santana sits back and lets them talk as a family. Mrs. Pierce gives updates on what the cousins have been up to, what new stores had been built downtown, and how many of the girls Brittany's age had started getting married.

"You know, Ashley Pratt-"

"Yes, Mom. I have Facebook. I know she's pregnant." Brittany had dreaded that the conversation would wind up here, focused around marriage and children. An hour into dinner, and just as the entrees arrive, her mother finds her way there.

"Any boys catch your eye lately?"

"No, Mom. I've been kind of busy."

"I just don't get it, Britt," Mr. Pierce adds, "How my beautiful and talented daughter could be single for over a year now."

"Why can't I be single?"

"I'm not saying you can't, it's just strange. You're the cream of the crop, and guys should be lining up just to talk to you."

"That's flattering, Dad, but maybe I want to be single."

Santana nervously cuts at her steak as she wonders if she should pipe in with a joke or a non-sequitur, but she lets Brittany lead.

"The right guy won't be around forever. Who knows, he might be waiting for you, Britt."

"Your dad could be right. You never know when you'll meet your future husband, so you have to always be looking. Keep your eyes open."

"I get it," Brittany stabs her salmon, flaking off pieces with her fork.

"How nice it would be to have your kids the same age as your cousin Lily's? Her and Bobby and starting to try for children, so there's still time."

"Mom, stop," Brittany glances over to Santana who is giving her a small smile, which fades once she sees how Brittany is becoming more agitated and anxious.

"I know, I know," Mrs. Pierce sips her wine. "I just get excited when I think about what your little babies would look like."

"What if I never have my own children? Will I just be some big disappointment to you?"

Santana sets her fork and knife on her plate, and reaches her hand under the table. She tries to keep it out of view of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, attempting to calm Brittany down.

"Brittany," her mother softens her voice, "that's not-"

"It's really what it sounds like. You're so focused on it. You always are."

"Let's just change the subject," Mr. Pierce interrupts.

"How could I not be a disappointment to you if you talk about it all the time?"

Santana leans a bit closer, trying to get Brittany's attention.

"Just because I talk about grandchildren doesn't mean it's all that matters, honey."

Santana rubs her thumb back and forth on her thigh. Brittany sighs and looks down, letting Santana's touch soothe her. She covers the girl's hand with her own, but as she looks up, Brittany sees her father staring at the spot where their arms touch.

Brittany quickly lifts her left hand up to scratch her left ear.

Santana sees the motion and straightens up in her seat. "Well, my boyfriend and I have discussed this particular issue recently."

"Oh really?" Mr. Pierce asks.

"Yea, we've talked about maybe getting married next fall. We're not sure about if we want to start a family. We figured we would just take everything as it comes, and not make any decisions about that just yet." Santana looks out of the corner of her to Brittany. The girl stares back at her, chewing on the inside of her lip, trying to keep it from trembling.

"What's his name? Where did you meet?" Mrs. Pierce asks.

"Brad, he's still back in New York. But he's moving out here as soon as he can."

"That sounds so exciting. It's nice you didn't let the distance take a toll on your relationship."

"Yea, well enough about me and my boring life. Brittany, you should tell them about the time you saw Philip Seymour-Hoffman at the Farmer's Market."

"I don't think that was him," she shakes her head.

"It was totally him. He ordered two veggie burritos and asked for them to hold the veggies," Santana laughs. "What else is left? He basically ordered condiments wrapped in a tortilla."

The three all laugh while Brittany sits silently, swirling around her wine. The rest of the dinner continues on with a similar tone. Santana tries to carry the conversation while Brittany gives short answers to her parent's questions. Mr. Pierce asks for the check as Carlos walks by their table.

"Thank you both again for this great meal," Santana says. "Please at least let me leave the tip."

"Never, I could not allow it."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, my treat for _such_ a good friend of Brittany's," Mr. Pierce takes out his wallet.

"Thanks, Dad."

After the check is settled and they grab their to-go boxes, Brittany says goodbye to her parents at the hotel elevators. Santana stands to the side to allow them privacy.

"We're in room #213 if you can't reach us on our cell phones, okay?"

"Yea," Brittany nods.

"So brunch tomorrow, then?" Mrs. Pierce asks. "You told us about that one place with the really great French toast?"

"Sure, Mom. How about 10:30?"

"Great, we'll pick you up this time."

"Okay, good night, Mom…Dad."

"It's so good to see you, pumpkin," Mr. Pierce kisses her forehead. "Take it easy, we'll see you in the morning."

"Bye," Brittany turns and hobbles back towards Santana, who leads her out the front doors. She hands the valet the ticket, and when the man leaves to get the car, Santana wraps Brittany in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Brittany," she pulls her arms tight around her back. She can feel Brittany's shoulders start to shake and a slight whimper form in her breath. "Shhh."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't do it," Brittany says into her ear.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for," Santana leans back. "Look at me," she tilts Brittany's chin up. "You have no reason to apologize, okay?"

Brittany shakes her head and lets out a sob. "I made you lie."

"I don't care about that, Britt."

"No, you shouldn't have to lie about who you are," she chokes out. "You came out to your parents and to everyone else so that you wouldn't have to lie anymore," Brittany wipes at her eyes. "And I couldn't do the same."

"Britt, you shouldn't tell them until you're ready. Tonight, you weren't ready, and that's okay. Please don't beat yourself up over it."

Brittany leans forward again into Santana's arms. She rests her head on Santana's shoulder until her breathing slows down and her sobbing subsides. "I hated hearing you talk about _Brad_," she nuzzles her head into her girlfriend's neck.

"Ew, me too," Santana laughs and rubs Brittany's lower back. "That's why _Brad_ and I won't be having kids anytime soon."

Brittany laughs into her neck and pulls back. "Thank you," she sniffles. A tear runs down the side of her nose, and Santana reaches a thumb to wipe it away.

"I love you, Britt."

"I love you too," she looks around to see if the valet guy is back yet. The coast is clear, so Brittany leans her head down to kiss Santana's lips. She tilts her head and slides her mouth across the other girl's, letting the feeling relax her after the stressful and disappointing night.

It is right then at that exact moment of relief that Brittany hears a knock from above their heads. A window cracks open, and Mr. Pierce leans his head out.

"Come upstairs, Brittany."

**A/N: Phew, this one was tough - had to leave it on a cliffhanger for you. I'll try to update soon!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been so busy with dumb adult things: getting a new place, doing my taxes, and then a car accident to top it off! Oh, got a new poster for my story thanks to the lovely reader who made it! Let me know what you think with a review! Thank you all for reading :)**

Brittany and Santana both whip their heads upwards, and Santana takes a step backwards.

"Santana, if you could please help Brittany upstairs. We would like to speak with her."

Brittany stands frozen in place. Her mouth is slightly ajar. Her hands tremble as they grip her crutches tighter. Santana nods towards Mr. Pierce, and he shuts the window.

"Oh my-fuck!" Brittany breathes out. She leans her weight onto the crutches and hangs her head. "What do I do?"

"Come here. Let's just walk away from the window for a second," Santana puts her hand on Brittany's back to lead her towards the lobby. Out of view from the window, Santana throws her arms around her girlfriend, giving her a tight hug. She rocks them slightly, trying to soothe Brittany and keep her from panicking. "Okay, so your dad saw us kissing."

"I know," Brittany says into Santana's neck.

"So there's really only one explanation for it."

"Unless you were searching my teeth for cavities with your tongue," Brittany sighs.

"I don't think they'll buy that one," Santana laughs and rubs her hand across Brittany's shoulders. "No matter what happens I'll be here, okay?"

"I thought I would be ready," Brittany says pulling her head back to face Santana. Her voice wavers, and she pulls her lips in her mouth to keep from crying. "I don't feel ready."

"I'm so sorry, Brittany. I wish you could have told them on your own."

"Me too."

"Well, I guess we should go up there. I'll walk you up," Santana opens the front door and pushes the button for the elevator. They wait in silence as Brittany's mind races in preparation for what's to come. Santana reaches her hand out hold onto Brittany's, who let's go of her crutch to lace their fingers together. The door opens and they get in. Brittany presses the button for the second floor.

"I'll wait right outside the door, okay?"

Brittany nods her head and tries to give Santana a little smile.

"If at any point you want to leave, just leave."

"I can't exactly make a quick escape," Brittany lifts her right crutch off the floor.

"I carried you down a mountain. I'm pretty sure I could run you outta this place."

The elevator doors open, and the two make their way down the hotel hallway.

"Here it is," Santana points to room 213. "Good luck," she whispers. "I'll be right here the whole time," she leans in to kiss Brittany on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispers back.

Santana walks back away from the door to lean against the wall a few feet away. Brittany knocks twice lightly. She takes a deep breath and lets the air out slowly through her mouth.

The door whips open, and Brittany is taken aback as her mother wraps her in a giant hug. Being caught by surprise, she drops her crutches and is held up by the arms around her back.

"Brittany," Mrs. Pierce says closing her eyes and gripping her daughter a little tighter.

Santana watches from down the hall in surprise. Her father stands in the room behind them. "Let her breathe, dear. Brittany, come in and let's talk." Mrs. Pierce steps back, picks up Brittany's crutches, and wipes the corner of her eye.

"Here, sit," her father pulls the desk chair out and places it next to the bed.

Brittany hobbles over and sits on the edge of the chair. She is unable to shake the nerves or to take her eyes off of the floor. Brittany's heart races and her face flushes. She feels so incredibly exposed in front of her parents. Instead of feeling relief at the warm welcome, she feels anxious wishing she could run out of the room. Her mother sits down on the bed in front of her, while her father remains standing.

"You could have told us," Mrs. Pierce breaks the silence.

"I thought maybe I could," Brittany says and shakes her head. "I wasn't ready."

"So you're not ready to talk about it now?" her mother says cautiously.

"Well, there's no use in trying to lie about it."

"So, she…" Mr. Pierce points towards the door.

Brittany nods.

"How long?"

"Since around Oklahoma."

"So, she's cheating on her boyfriend with you?" her father asks with a confused look.

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, Dad. She lied for me," Brittany starts picking at the hem of her skirt. "I wanted to tell you tonight, but I panicked when you started talking about marriage and babies," she feels the heat behind her eyes as tears start forming. "And then I started thinking how if I told you then you would be ashamed of me because it doesn't fit what you pictured my life to be."

"Brittany, nothing you could ever do would make us feel ashamed," Mr. Pierce speaks up.

"Did we make you feel that way? Did you not trust us to love you no matter what?"

Brittany can see her mother starting to get upset. "No, Mom. I just…I couldn't stop thinking of the 'what if'. What if you would stop…"

"Never, sweetie," her father takes two steps towards her. "We would never stop loving you. Clearly, your mother and I haven't done our job." He rests a hand on Brittany's shoulder and looks her straight in the eyes. "I'm so sorry that we let you down."

"You haven't. I was scared to realize who I really am and more scared to say it aloud."

"When did you know?"

Brittany shrugs her shoulders. "Forever….A year….two months. I'm not really sure. All I know is that I was never happy with a boy, and I can't imagine being any happier than I am with Santana."

Mrs. Pierce mouth grows into a smile, and she gets up from the bed to hug Brittany. "I'm so glad that you're happy, honey."

Brittany nods into her shoulder and looks to her father. "So…could we meet your girlfriend?" he asks.

"I'll just call her phone," she quickly scrolls to Santana's name and waits for her to pick up.

Santana is sitting on the floor, with her knees pulled up to her chest. She stares at the door, wondering what is happening just behind it. She then feels her phone vibrate next to her, and she sees Brittany's face pop up on the screen. Santana swipes the screen and stands up. "Britt? Are you alright?"

"Yea, could you come into the room?"

"Sure….your Dad's not going to like beat me over the head with that Gideon's Bible they put in the bedside table is he? How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Calm down, San. Just come in."

"Okay, bye," Santana hangs up and puts her phone away. She smooths out her dress and hair before approaching the door. "Okay, Lopez. Don't screw this up. You're only meeting the parents of the girl who now know you're _doing_ their daughter. No biggie."

On the other side, the three hear a light rap on the door.

"It's open!" Brittany yells.

The door slowly creaks open, and Santana appears from behind it. She closes it behind her and steps into the room.

"Hi," her voice is small as Santana is unsure of what just went down.

"Santana," Mrs. Pierce walks over to her with open arms. "Dear, I could tell you were a special one," she hugs the girl, "we didn't realize just how special you were to Brittany."

Santana looks over Mrs. Pierce's shoulder to Brittany. "Oh," her body relaxes and she grins at her girlfriend. She steps out of the hug to face both of Brittany's parents, "Well, I feel lucky to know her."

Brittany breaks into a smile and her face flushes pink.

"It wasn't hard to tell, you two," Mr. Pierce says. "You have the subtlety of elephants tap dancing."

"So you didn't believe I had a boyfriend?" Santana asks.

"Not a chance," Mrs. Pierce responds. "You didn't have the sparkle in your eye when you talked about 'Brad' that you had when talking about our daughter."

"Mom, stop embarrassing her!"

"We'll let you get going then," Brittany's dad interrupts. "Santana, it was really nice to re-meet you," he shakes her hand.

"You too, and thank you again for dinner and….everything."

"You're very welcome."

"You ready, Britt?"

Brittany nods her hand and pushes up out of the chair. Her mother hands her the crutches and Santana takes her bag for her.

"Good night," Brittany hugs her parents.

"Night, sweetie. We love you," her mother kisses her cheek.

Santana opens the door and they head back towards the elevator.

"Wow," Santana exclaims. "Britt!" she stops walking to face her girlfriend.

"I know," Brittany smiles.

"I'm so happy for you," Santana hugs her tight. Brittany puts her hands around her shoulders and tucks her head into Santana's neck.

"I think I'm still in a bit of shock, but like the good kind. Like when you touch an outlet with your finger."

Santana laughs and hits the down button. "We should go celebrate a little bit."

"Yes! I'll call Rachel and see if she and Sarah want to meet up."

"Great. While you do that, there's just something I want to do first."

Brittany looks up from her phone confused as Santana walks back towards the hotel room.

"What are you doing?"

Santana whips her head around, "I'll just be a second." She steps up to the door and knocks lightly. A few seconds later, Mr. Pierce opens the door.

"Oh, did you forget something?"

"No, sorry to bother you. I just…I wanted to tell you both," she leans over to make eye contact with Mrs. Pierce, "that I love you daughter. So much," Santana emphasizes. "I didn't know I was capable of such happiness until I met Brittany."

The Pierces listen with smiles on their faces.

"You have an amazing daughter, and I'm really glad that she will still have you both in her life."

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Pierce walks over to the entranceway. "Like we told her, we will always love her no matter what."

"That's…" Santana pauses and tries to keep her tears at bay, "That's really great." She nods her head and bites her lip. "I look forward to getting to know you both."

"No doubt that we will, Santana," Mr. Pierce puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to say, so good night," Santana awkwardly waves at the two and turns to the door.

"Santana," Mrs. Pierce stops her and pulls her into a hug. "Take care of her, okay?"

"Always."

"And take care of yourself, too. Let us know if you need anything. We'll always be there… for you both."

"Thank you," Santana faces Mrs. Pierce. "That really means a lot."

"Now go make sure Brittany hasn't fallen over trying to listen in on our conversation."

"Dad!"

Santana leans her head out the door to find Brittany a couple feet away against the wall. "Busted, Britt."

An hour later, Brittany and Santana are sitting in a booth across from Rachel and Sarah. They met up at their favorite Mexican restaurant and are on their second round of margaritas.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rachel yells. "We need to toast this round first. Brittany drop that drink!"

Brittany spits her sip back into the glass.

"Gross, Britt," Santana laughs. "Okay, what'll it be, Rach?"

She raises her glass and clears her throat. "To!" Rachel sings out

"Please not to me again. I was embarrassed enough the first time," Brittany begs.

"Why not?! It's your night!"

"Will somebody please choose something to toast to? I would like this liquor to be in my mouth sometime today," Santana replies.

"To lesbians!" Sarah shouts.

"Good enough for me. Lesbians!" Santana yells and raises her glass.

"Lesbians!" Rachel and Brittany respond and they all drink.

"Nope, I still don't like tequila," Rachel shakes her head.

"Then why did you order a margarita?" Santana asks.

"Because it's culturally appropriate."

"Well, so is Corona. So," Santana flags down the waiter. "Hi, could we get a bucket of Coronas to the table?"

"No, Santana. That's okay-"

"No worries. It's on me tonight."

"Baby," Brittany curls into Santana. "You're the sweetest-est-est."

"You are," Santana leans down to kiss her girlfriend on the lips.

"You," Brittany grabs at Santana's collar to pull her back down. She pecks her mouth, and then deepens the kiss until they hear loud coughing from across the table.

"What?" Santana growls.

"Not that you two aren't the most fucking adorable thing I've ever seen," Sarah says, "but you're making the rest of us single ladies feel a little jealous."

"Jealous, eh?" Santana wriggles her eyebrows. "Jealous of which one of us?"

"Very funny," Rachel sips her margarita. "Ugh."'

"Well stop drinking it already," Sarah laughs and takes the glass from Rachel's hand.

"Ooh!"

"What is it?" Brittany turns to Santana.

"I had my phone in my lap and someone just texted me."

"That reminds me," Brittany leans in to whisper in Santana's ear. "I've been meaning to take a trip to the Pleasure Chest to pick up a few things for us."

Santana looks up from her phone with her mouth agape. She swallows and licks her lips. "What kinds of things?"

"You'll see," Brittany turns back to the table and the waiter bringing over their beer.

"Fuck," Santana whispers. She looks back to her phone and opens the new text from Ben.

It reads, 'Our short is opening New York Film Fest in three weeks. You ready for your big debut?'


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hi there! I got this chapter done quicker than I thought. Thanks for the reviews last chapter~I thought I'd respond to each one this time.**

**castlewalls7: Thanks so much! No one was hurt in the accident, just some damage done :(**

**Mysterywriter18: You are too kind! Really!**

**Emochildp: I'm so glad you like it!**

**Captain-McWanky-Lopez69: Thank you! I hope you like the rest of the story :)**

**lg4az: I've never actually been there! *hangs head in shame* but I drive by it all the time!**

**Bettheducksinthehat: Thanks so much!**

**me: Thanks! I'm glad you found it funny, comedy is hard to get across sometimes**

**AB: I'm glad Britt's parents are ok with it too. It's how I hope my parents will react if I ever tell them!**

**And to the guests: Thank you for the reviews! They make my day!**

**I hope to get the next chapter up asap, but I will be without internet for awhile when I move. Happy reading!**

"Feel it."

"But I'm so close!" Santana whines.

"C'mon, San, just put your fingers on it."

"Britt…"

"You know you want to."

Santana leers at Brittany sitting next to her. "Fine," she reaches her hand over to touch Brittany's knee.

"Gross, right?"

"It's not gross, it's cool," Santana runs her finger over the darkened skin. "And kind of sexy, but I have to get this verse done," she points to her notebook.

Brittany throws her legs onto Santana's lap and inches closer to her. "You know, the physical therapy has been working wonders."

"Yea?" Santana replies while scribbling away.

"Mm-hmm, I can even lose the crutches soon."

"That's great, Britt. What rhymes with 'smile'?"

"Bile…Dial…..File…Kyle…"

"_Try to keep my hands off your speed dial. _That might work."

Brittany rests her chin on Santana's shoulder and puts her mouth next to her ear. "Are you done yet?"

"Just a sec," Santana hums out the melody while reading the words she wrote. "Still might need a little tweaking."

"I know some other things that need a little tweaking," Brittany brings her lips to Santana's neck and licks a trail up to her ear. She closes her lips over her earlobe and sucks gently.

Santana clicks her pen and closes the notebook, tossing it onto the coffee table. "What might those things be?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

Santana pulls on Brittany's hips to move her onto her lap. She puts one hand on her neck and the other on her lower back. "Maybe you should show me anyways, just to be sure."

Brittany takes Santana's left hand and brings it towards her breast. Santana grabs hold and gently massages it as she connects their lips. She moans into Brittany's mouth as she tries to find her nipple through her cotton t-shirt. Santana strokes her tongue over Brittany's top lip, tasting her peach lip gloss. Brittany puts her hand over Santana's, pushing her fingers to grip her tighter.

"We're alone right now," Brittany breaks their kiss. "Rachel won't be here for at least two hours."

"You mean..?"

"I told you the physical therapy was helping," Brittany puts her lips back on Santana's neck. "I can bend it pretty far now."

Santana puts her arms under Brittany's legs and back, lifting her up from the couch. "Just in case, you shouldn't walk to the bed." Santana carries her down the hallway to the bedroom. Brittany clutches her arms around her neck, tickling the soft hair. They cross the threshold, and Santana eases her girlfriend onto the bed. She goes back to close the door and locks it just in case. Brittany starts to get up from the bed.

"What are you doing?" Santana asks as Brittany limps over to the closet.

"I picked up a few things at the _store_, remember?" she rummages through some boxes.

"Oh…" Santana licks her lips and sits on the edge of the bed.

"Let's make it a little game out of it," Brittany pulls three black shoeboxes out from the closet and places them on the bed. "You pick one box, and if you make me come in under two minutes, then I will use whatever is in the other two boxes on you."

"Oh my god, Britt. Best game ever," Santana breathes out.

"So pick a box, any box," Brittany watches as Santana eyes each one. "Choose carefully."

Santana touches her hand to the middle box and lifts it up. "This one," she hands it to Brittany. "Oh, wow. It's heavy."

"Good choice," she lifts the top off, revealing what's inside to Santana. She pulls out the black harness and purple dildo. Santana's eyes pop open as she is handed the toy. "Have you ever used one before?"

"No," Santana shakes her head. "But I have really, really wanted to."

"I'm glad to be your first then," Brittany leans down to kiss Santana, and she pulls her up to stand next to the bed. "But the clothes need to go." She unzips the girl's jeans and tugs them down her legs, bringing her underwear with them. Santana puts her hands on Brittany shoulders as she steps out of the clothes. Then she peels off her tank top and unclasps her bra, with Brittany watching in awe. Brittany then pulls her close to place soft kisses across Santana's stomach. Her hands glide across Santana's lower back and down her butt. "My turn," Brittany glances up and she sits back on the bed, pushing herself against the headboard.

Santana kneels on the bed, and immediately starts taking off Brittany's clothes. She makes quick work of it, and soon Santana brings their naked bodies together. Their legs intertwine and Brittany pushes her tongue into Santana's mouth. "Mm, Britt. Careful of your knee," Santana eases off.

"It's fine, don't worry. Now," Brittany reaches for her cell phone, "I'm going to set a timer. You need any help getting ready?"

Santana sits up and reaches for the harness at the end of the bed. "I think I can figure it out," she stands up and steps into it, fastening it around her thighs. She tugs on the straps until fits snuggly. "There."

Brittany watches with a smirk on her face, resting back on her elbows.

"How does it look?"

"Just get over here," Brittany begs.

Santana crawls back onto the bed, resting her body between Brittany's spread legs. She kisses her hard, running her hands over Brittany's ribs and down to her thighs. She moves her kisses down Brittany's body from her neck to her stomach. She hovers over Brittany's center, looking up for approval.

"Is this going to count towards my two minutes?"

"Fuckkk no," Brittany groans as Santana drags her tongue through her folds up to her clit.

Santana grins and sucks gently around the hardening nub, while she gently pushes on Brittany's knee to make more space. She flicks her tongue over and over and reaches a hand up to grab Brittany's right breast.

"Oh, San, don't stop," Brittany reaches down to brush Santana's hair back and holds it there, pushing Santana's face closer.

"I think you're ready," Santana pulls away and gets up on her knees.

"What?" Brittany opens her eyes. "Oh, right," she takes her phone and hits the start button.

Santana grabs hold of the dildo and runs it over her clit a few times to cover it in Brittany's wetness. "Just tell me if it hurts, okay?" Brittany nods in response and pulls on Santana's arm to bring her closer. Santana slowly pushes the head into her, watching Brittany's face for a reaction.

"More," Brittany moans, so Santana eases the rest of the seven inches into Brittany. Their hips touch and Santana basks in the feeling. She rests her hands next to Brittany's head, and pulls out slowly.

"How does it feel?"

"Shit, San. You feel so good," Brittany puts her hands on Santana's back. Santana takes the signal and thrusts back into her. She starts to pick up speed and tucks her head into Brittany's neck.

"Ungh, Britt," she moves her mouth onto Brittany's, stroking her tongue with her own. She pulls back, resting her hands on Brittany's chest. She rolls her fingers over her nipples and thrusts harder. Sweat forms on Santana's brow as she brings Brittany closer and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, Santana," Brittany grabs onto her shoulders. "I'm close," she wraps her good leg around Santana's hip, giving more room for her to move. "OH, fuck," Brittany groans as Santana hits her g-spot. "Right there, San."

"Yea? Right….here?" she thrusts at the same angle. Brittany nods and reaches her head up to bite down on Santana's shoulder. She places kisses on the spot, soothing it, and pants into Santana's ear.

"Oh my god, yesss. I'm gonna….fuuuu," Brittany yells as Santana moves quicker inside her and puts her left hand down to rub her clit, bringing her girlfriend to orgasm. "Oh, San. That felt so good," Brittany sighs.

Santana moves her hips back and forth a few times to draw out her climax until Brittany can't take anymore. She stills inside her and places kisses all over Brittany's face. "That was amazing, Britt."

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"Looks like you won," Brittany grins.

"Seems more like you're the winner here," she looks down at Brittany's sated expression, her hair messy across her face and pillow.

"Call it a tie then," Brittany rests up on her elbows, and Santana pulls out the dildo covered in Brittany's wetness. She pulls off the harness and throws it across the bed. Brittany shuts off the timer, "Hand me the other two boxes."

Santana obliges, reaching down for the two mystery boxes. "Which one should we open first?"

"I think we can use both at the same time actually," Brittany takes the lid off of them both. "Chocolate body paint…and….these little things."

"What is that?"

"I just slip this around my wrist, and these two things attach to my fingers," Brittany puts them on, "and turn it on." She places her fingers Santana's thigh to demonstrate how her fingertips now vibrate. "Feel that?"

"God, yes. I feel that," Santana nods.

"First, I need to do a little painting," she slips the toy off her hand and grabs the tub. She unscrews the lid and takes the brush, dipping into the chocolate. "We should probably get a towel first."

"Right," Santana gets up from the bed and grabs an old black towel from Brittany's closet. "Here," she spreads it over the bed and lies down on top of it.

Brittany takes the brush and starts spreading the chocolate over Santana's left breast and across to the other. She drags it over and over, completely covering her nipples. Then she paints down her stomach and around her belly button. She dips it back into the jar, and then lets the brush drip chocolate down her pelvis until it hits her mound. The dark liquid covers her clit and Brittany moves the brush to spread it all across her center.

"Masterpiece," Brittany puts the brush back into the jar and sets it on the bedside table. She takes a hair tie and pulls her hair back into a messy bun. Then Brittany leans down, bringing her tongue to taste the chocolate covering Santana's chest. "Mmm," she grins and brings her face to Santana's. "Taste," she closes her lips around her girlfriend's, letting her taste the sweetness.

"Not as good as you, but still pretty tasty," Santana licks her lips.

Brittany continues licking around Santana's nipple, and once the left is clean she moves to her right breast. Santana watches from above as Brittany goes to work, lapping up every inch of chocolate, sucking on her nipple, and teasing her to no end. She puts a hand behind Brittany's head, massaging it for her as she moves down her stomach. Chocolate covers her lips, and Santana starts breathing heavier as Brittany gets closer and closer to where she needs her. She feels her tongue drag down the trail of chocolate from her belly button to just above her clit. Brittany swallows the sweet candy and looks up at Santana one last time before dipping her tongue through Santana's lower lips.

"Britt," Santana moans. She grabs the sheets next to her, gripping them tight, and moving her hips up into Brittany's face. "Keep going."

Brittany licks up and down through her folds and focuses on Santana's clit. She keeps her mouth on Santana while she reaches for the toy. She puts it on her wrist and fingers, never removing her lips from Santana's clit. Once all the chocolate has disappeared, Brittany moves back up Santana's body, resting next to her. She kisses her mouth, letting Santana suck on her bottom lip. Brittany takes her hand and gently places her fingertips on Santana's hip, letting her feel the vibrations coming from the little pads. She moves her fingers across her inner thighs, teasing Santana until she begs for it.

"Please, Britt."

"Please, what?"

"Touch me," Santana husks through lidded eyes. "I need you."

Brittany leans down to kiss her once more, and places her fingers on her clit. She presses down firmly causing Santana to buck her hips up.

"Ugh, yes!" Santana pulls on Brittany's shoulders. She pulls her close and sucks on Brittany's neck as the vibrations send her closer to climax. "Oh my god, Brittany."

Brittany flexes her arm tighter putting more pressure on Santana's bundle of nerves. "Right there?"

"Fuck, yes," Santana throws her head back onto the pillow while holding onto Brittany's right arm. "Don't stop, I'm gonna-"

Brittany sucks on the spot under Santana's ear, as the girl's climax rips through her body. Santana goes rigid as she yells her girlfriend's name. Brittany keeps her fingers in place, lightly easing off the pressure. Santana catches her breath and pulls Brittany on top of her.

"That was unbelievable, Britt," she brushes a lock of hair behind Brittany's ear, and holds her face in her hands. "I love you."

"I love you too," Brittany leans down to kiss her softly on each cheek.

"Just think, once we get our own place we won't have to wait for any roommate to leave."

"Mmm, or have to lock the bedroom door….or bathroom door."

"I can't wait," Santana smiles and kisses her once more. "What time is our appointment at that place on Kings Road?"

"Three. So we've got about an hour."

"In that case, I might need some help showering off the stickiness from the chocolate," Santana leans up and Brittany smiles, grabbing her hand to lead her into the bathroom.

One hour later, Santana parks the car on the side street and Brittany gets out of the car to pay the meter. She brought her crutches with her since their afternoon love-making session wore her out a little.

"I think that's it, the tan building."

"Yea," Santana waits for Brittany and helps her across the road. They walk into the leasing office, and spot the manager sitting at his desk. Santana waves through the glass door and he signals them to come in.

"Hi there! Come on in. I'm Roger."

"Hi, I'm Santana and this is Brittany."

"Nice to meet you both. So you're here to see the one bedroom, right?"

"Yea," they both respond.

"Great, let's go take a look then."

They walk through the lobby, and Brittany notices the marble flooring and decorative vases in the corner. They get into the elevator and Roger turns to them.

"So the room is available October 1 to move in. We have a fitness center and a pool, which I'll show you later. You get two parking spaces, we're pet friendly, and each floor has four washers and dryers."

"Wow, that sounds great," Santana replies. They walk down the hallway, with is lined with high quality carpeting. Roger finds the right key from the chain and opens the door to room 321.

"You've got a full kitchen here on the left. Stainless steel fridge, stove, and oven. Plenty of counter space, and you've got dishwasher here. We just replaced the tiling and the wood floors here in the living room. Your balcony overlooks the street."

Santana walks through the empty room, imagining how she could spend her time here with Brittany. "I love it," she says. Brittany follows Santana around, in awe of how nice the apartment is. Santana turns around to smile at Brittany. "What do you think?"

"It's really, really nice, San, but-"

"The bedroom is just down this hall, and the bathroom is right next to it. You've got a broom closet here too," Roger leads them into the bedroom. "It's quite sizable, enough room for a king bed and plenty more. The walk-in closet is right over here."

"You said it's ready for the first right?"

"Yea, if you want we can put a holding deposit down today, $300."

"San," Brittany turns to Roger. "Can we have a moment to talk it over?"

"Sure thing, I'll be in the kitchen."

"What's wrong, Britt? I thought you liked it?"

"I do, San. I really do, but this place is far too nice, don't you think?"

"Well, sure it's a bit more than we had decided was our budget, but-"

"We can't afford this, can we?"

Santana walks up and puts her arms across Brittany's shoulders. "Well, we can actually."

"What are talking about?"

"You know how Ben's short film is playing the festival next weekend?"

"Yea," Brittany nods.

"Well, Warner heard about it, and since they think that it might be well received at the festival, they want to throw a little concert after the film's premiere to debut the song."

"That's great!" Brittany kisses her. "But how does that mean more money, are they paying you that much just to play a song?"

"No, they want to sign me as a recording artist as well."

"Oh my god, Santana. Are you serious?" Brittany's face drops.

"Yea, I got another advance, and I'll get to start working on my own album."

"San!" Brittany throws herself into Santana, hugging her with her entire body. "I can't believe it! Well, I can because you're amazing, but you know what I mean!"

"I know," Santana smiles into Brittany's shoulder. "I wanted to tell you the moment I found out, but I wanted to make it a surprise."

"I'm so happy for you, San."

"Me too. I mean the songs I write…they won't go to some other singer. I get to keep them as my own now."

Brittany lunges forward to kiss Santana. "You're going to be amazing."

"So what do you say? Want to live here with me?"

"I could live anywhere with you," Brittany brushes her thumb across Santana's cheeks. "But this place _is_ pretty awesome."

"Let's go tell Roger," Santana puts her hand on Brittany's back. They walk back into the main room. "We'll take it."

Roger turns around, "Great! Let's go fill out some paperwork."

They finish the application, and Roger shows them the community amenities. Brittany can't stop herself from whispering into Santana's ear about pool sex. Santana hushes her quickly, but a giggle leaves her mouth. Roger keeps on explaining about the pool specifications, but neither girl is paying attention.

They leave the building and once they're back in the car, Brittany holds Santana's right hand as she drives.

"Remember we have to send a copy of our passports to the management office."

"Right and I'll drop off the signed lease, the checks, and we can move in on the first," Brittany smiles.

"That's going to be an insane weekend. We fly out to New York for the festival on Thursday, and come back Saturday night. Then we will be moving all day Sunday. I'm going to need a vacation after that."

"But we get to have hotel sex," Brittany whispers in her ear. "Just like our first time."

"Oh my god, you're right. That was the best," Santana pulls their joined hands to her lips. "I'll never forget it."

"Me neither. But we can always try to top it."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Sorry again that it took so long to update. I know a lot of fans were concerned about authors losing the will to write lately. But it was just that I was soooo busy this week. But I'm finally moved in to my new apt. and got internet back. So I wanted to get a new chapter out. This one's a bit short and fluffy. I will get a longer chapter going for next time!**

**Heyaholic: Thanks! My goal is always for them to be sweet and cute!**

**Scarlettdancer: Thanks for the review :) I'm glad you like the cuteness**

**EmoChildP: I think that review got cut off! lol, but thank you so much anyways!**

**lg4az: I know, I know. I really need to go haha. I've been to another store in weho, but I bet it's not as good. So it's on my list of things to do!**

**me: I think I need to get one of those things too! haha thanks for reading**

**AB: I will definitely keep it fluffy! That was always my goal with this fic. Brittany's struggle with coming out is as angsty as it would get. So more fluff on the way!**

"Babe?"

"Yea?" Brittany sticks her head out from the bathroom door.

"Is my contact solution in there? I can't find it."

"Let me see," she searches through the medicine cabinet and under the sink, "I don't see it anywhere. Did you already pack it in your suitcase?"

"I haven't packed at all yet actually," Santana walks over to stand in the doorway to the bathroom.

"San! We're leaving in an hour for the airport. Are you just going to go dressed like that and wear it for the next three days?" Brittany points to Santana, in her underwear and tank top.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Miss Pierce?" she saunters forward to stand behind Brittany at the sink. She wraps her arms around Brittany's waist and drops her lips to her shoulder. "No more wasting valuable seconds of time taking off all my clothes." Santana brings her hands around Brittany's front and caresses her stomach. She kisses along her shoulder to her neck. "Hmm?"

"But taking off your clothes is fun," Brittany drops her head back to make room for Santana to kiss up her jawline. "It's like unwrapping a present. Every day is like my birthday." Santana's hands start roaming up towards her chest. "San, we don't have time for that."

"I can be quick."

"We can't miss the flight," Brittany puts her hands over Santana's and turns around. "Go pack, honey."

"I can't find my contact solution," Santana pouts.

Brittany leans forward and places a kiss on her forehead. "Just wear your glasses."

"No! I hate wearing them."

"But you look so cute in them! Pretty sexy actually," Brittany opens up the cabinet and hands Santana the case. "C'mon, wear them. We don't have time to stop at the store anyways."

"Okay, fine. But the minute we land, I'm getting some solution. No way am I performing with these things," Santana slides the black framed glasses onto her face.

Brittany's eyes light up, and she brushes the hair out of Santana's eyes. "I wish you wore these more often. Maybe someday you can put these on with…I don't know, a short skirt and button-up blouse…heels."

"Oh my god. You so have a teacher-student fantasy, don't you?"

Brittany just smiles back at her.

"I knew it!"

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Santana puts her hands on the sink behind Brittany.

"Will you do that for me?" Brittany rests her hands on Santana's hips, slowly inching up her tank top.

"I would do anything for you. You know that," Santana stands up on her tip toes to kiss Brittany delicately.

"I do."

"Okay, I'll go get ready."

Santana goes back into her bedroom which is filled with half packed boxes of her belongings. She and Brittany had started getting everything together to move into their new apartment after the trip to New York. Santana starts throwing clothes into her suitcase until it's full. Moments later there is a knock on the door. Brittany runs out from the bathroom with her toothbrush still in her mouth to open the door.

"Hey!" Rachel is there with a box in hand. "You ready to go?"

"Almost. San! Hurry up, Rachel's here," she turns back to Rachel. "Come in, what's the box for?"

"Oh, is it alright if I start moving some of my stuff in this weekend while you're gone?"

"Sure," Brittany takes the box from her hands and puts it in the corner of the living room.

"I'm so jealous that you guys get to go back to New York. It's like I'm in Broadway withdrawal."

"You just went to a show last weekend."

"Seeing a show at the Pantages does not equal walking down 42nd street and into a Broadway theater."

"I guess you're right. I mostly just miss the pizza and bagels."

Santana walks out of the bedroom with her rolling suitcase in one hand, guitar case in the other, sunglasses atop her head, and wearing a leather jacket. "Let's do this. Hey Rachel."

"Let me just grab my bags and we can go," Brittany walks towards her bedroom, giving Santana a kiss on the cheek along the way.

"Here are the car keys. Wreck Brittany's car on the way to LAX and I will wreck your life."

"Oooookay," Rachel takes the keys timidly.

"Kidding, Rachel. So, gonna be roomies with Sarah, huh?"

"Yea, it'll be nice to live with somebody I know, if it can't be Brittany."

"Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize. I'm so happy for you two! Plus now I get to hang out with this little guy," Dexter the cat leaps up onto the kitchen counter, and Rachel scratches his chin.

"Be careful. He didn't get the name Dexter for nothing."

"Huh?"

"Kidding."

"Okay! Ready to go," Brittany comes back carrying two bags, and they all head off to the airport.

Three hours later, Brittany and Santana are settled in their seats. Ben and his production partner are across the aisle, already asleep. Brittany is flipping through the Sky Mall magazine while they wait to take off. Santana is gazing out the window at the workers loading the bags into the plane.

"See anything good?" Santana tilts her head to see what her girlfriend is looking at.

"Just a lot of completely unnecessary gadgets and lawn ornaments."

"How about that crossword puzzle that covers an entire wall?"

"That would take years to finish," Brittany replies.

"So? We'll probably be there for a while."

"Yea?" Brittany closes the magazine and shifts in her seat to face Santana.

"Just until we eventually get a house or something."

"You think about that?"

Santana puts her hand on Brittany's thigh, stroking her thumb across her jeans. "All the time."

Brittany smiles and leans down to kiss Santana. "What else do you think about?" she whispers into her lips.

"I think about what our lives will be like in five, ten years. How I know that you will still be a part of mine. The most important part."

"I think so too," Brittany puts her hand over Santana's and squeezes it. "What else do you see for us?" Brittany's looks into Santana's eyes, seeing her face soften.

Santana looks down for a moment, but steels her face, her expression reflecting seriousness. "I think that one day I am going to ask-"

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! This is your captain speaking. We are looking at clear skies today and we are third in line for takeoff. We should be just on schedule for an 8:42 departure."

The interruption causes Santana to straighten up in her seat. She looks at Brittany, wondering if she knew what she was going to say. The captain continues speaking, while Santana nervously picks at her nails. Brittany reaches a hand over to stop her fidgeting, and interlocks their fingers together.

"Hey," she leans into Santana, "relax."

"What? I am relaxed. I'm totally cool. Like a cucumber. In an igloo."

"Okay, I believe you," Brittany laughs and brings their hands up to kiss the back of Santana's hand. "Oh, I called my friend, Quinn, and she's going to meet us for an early dinner before the showing tonight."

"Awesome. Does she know about us?"

"No, but I can't wait to tell her."

"Tell her about how awesome your girlfriend?"

"For starters," Brittany grins and kisses her softly. "What time do you need to be at the theater?"

"I'll have to sound check before the showing, so I should be there by 7 I think."

The flight goes smoothly apart from a patch of turbulence, in which Santana puts a death grip on Brittany's bicep throughout its entirety. Eventually they both fell asleep somewhere over Indiana, with Santana's head on Brittany's shoulder and arms intertwined. After they land in New York and take a lengthy cab ride to the hotel, Ben checks everybody in. The two girls head up to their room on the ninth floor.

"All we did was sit for the last seven hours, yet all I want to do is sleep," Brittany throws herself onto the large King bed. Santana puts their bags and suitcases against the dresser, peels off her jacket, and joins Brittany on the bed.

"I really hope they washed this comforter because my face is all up on it right now," Santana groans.

Brittany leans up onto her forearms and cuddles up next to Santana. "Let's just lie here for a moment before we have to leave again."

"Okay," Santana turns her head to face Brittany and shifts to lie on her side. They tangle their legs together, and wrap their arms around each other to get as close as possible. The two hold each other, breathing into each other, listening to the sound of cars honking on the street below. Santana runs her hand over Brittany's back in circles while Brittany lightly scratches her girlfriend's neck and nape. "Mm, that's nice. I just want to stay here."

"Me too. Forever."

"We can just order room service for every meal. We would never have to leave."

"I love it. But we have to get up and go meet Quinn," Brittany sits up and tugs on Santana's arm. "C'mon, lazybones."

"Just a few more minutes," Santana pleads.

"Not the puppy dog eyes, San."

"My puppy-dog eyes always work. Remember last night? You did that _thing_ for me, and I owe it all to these babies," she points to her dark brown eyes.

"Honey, I would have done it regardless," Brittany laughs. "Now let's go!"

Their cab pulls up to the bistro where Quinn is waiting for them. Santana gets out and the holds the door open for Brittany. She pays the driver and they head inside. Brittany searches around the tables, and she eventually spots her friend sitting in the back. They spot each other, and Brittany rushes to hug Quinn.

"Britt!" the girl throws her arms around her. "I missed you so much!"

"Me too," Brittany steps back, "Quinn, this is Santana."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Santana shakes her hand. "Brittany has told me so much about you."

"Oh no. Now I will have to correct all those lies she told you," Quinn laughs. "Let's sit!"

"So, Britt, what are you doing in town? I know you mentioned some festival, but that's all I caught."

"Well, Santana here is performing a song she wrote which is featured in a short film playing at the film festival tonight."

"That's awesome! You're a songwriter?"

"Yea, I'm signed with Warner."

"Wow! Congratulations. So, Brittany, you're just along for the trip or…?"

"Well, yes, Santana invited me."

"Nice, what a pal you've got," Quinn takes a sip of her water. "I wish I had friends that took me on trips."

"Santana invited me because…..I'm her girlfriend."

Quinn starts laughing, "Good one, Britt. I mean she is damn beautiful, so if you were gay, I'd say go for it."

Brittany and Santana look at each other with concern. "Quinn. I'm not joking."

"Come on, I'm not that gullible, Brittany. Prove it," she laughs.

Brittany and Santana smile at each other. They silently ask each other if they should _prove _that they are dating. Brittany gives her a small nod and grabs Santana by the neck. She kisses her girlfriend hard, tilting her head and sliding her lips over Santana's. Brittany rubs her thumb across Santana's cheek as her tongue massages her bottom lip. Realizing that they are in a very public place, Brittany separates their lips and wipes the corner of her mouth.

"How's that?" Brittany says smugly.

Quinn sits watching with her mouth agape. Brittany waits for a response, and Santana just takes a sip of her water.

"You can say something now, Quinn."

"Sorry," she shakes her head to get out of the daze. "I just, wow. So you are."

"Yup."

"Well, that's great then! I'm happy for you, Britt."

"Really? You don't just have to say that. I know it's kind of a big surprise."

"No, Britt. I'm sorry I thought you were joking. I acted like an ass."

"It's okay; I just dropped it on you with no warning."

"I really am happy for you. So where did you two meet?"

"Just outside our old apartment actually."

Santana turns to smile at Brittany, remembering the first time she laid eyes on her.

"Oh my god, you two are adorable. It's making me sick and jealous," Quinn laughs.

"So you and Puck…?"

"Yea, we didn't work out."

"I'm so sorry, Quinn. I know how much you liked him."

"It's okay. We just wanted different things. I wanted to get married and he didn't. So…we just weren't meant to be."

"That bastard," Brittany replies.

"I know, right? I mean, it's just a piece of paper and he wouldn't do it," Quinn says and realizes her words. "Fuck, I'm sorry. That was completely insensitive of me. Marriage is more than just on paper, and I'm sorry that you two wouldn't be able to get married in your state."

Brittany and Santana glance at each other, trying to read the other's face at the mention of marriage.

"Crap! And now I'm sorry for bringing up this awkward topic of conversation. Where's the waiter? We should order a bottle of something."

"Take it easy, Quinn," Brittany laughs. "It does suck that it's illegal in California, but who knows," Brittany looks at Santana, "maybe soon it will change."

"Yea," Santana nods. "Plus there's always New York."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Longest chapter so far! (by just a little bit) This one took awhile just because I re-tooled it some. Thank you again for keepin' on reading/favoriting/reviewing! I love to hear all the feedback and suggestions, it really helps me to keep on writing! Also, follow me at .com!**

**AB: That "thing" was meant to be a passing joke, but you inspired me to write it! Haha hopefully it's at least as good as what you were imagining!**

"What?" Brittany quickly turns to her head to the side, facing her girlfriend.

"I mean, there are places that gay people _can_ get married. Just not California, so there's New York…Iowa….Massachusetts..."

"That's true, and who knows how many other states within the next few years," Quinn adds.

"Yea, I guess I hadn't really thought about it," Brittany ponders and reaches for her glass.

Santana watches her eyes, trying to figure out if Brittany meant that she hadn't thought about gay marriage or hadn't thought about getting married to her. Santana sees her look off into the distance for a moment, and then looks right at her smiling. There's a sweet, awkward high-school quality to the exchange, as if they were only talking about who to ask to the formal.

"Well, I'm probably never getting married at this rate, so you all better invite me to yours someday!" Quinn interrupts. "Whoever you get married to….you know….like other people…or each other…..where's the damn waiter already?"

The rest of the dinner is spent catching up on all aspects of each other's lives. Brittany and Quinn finish off the bottle of wine by themselves since Santana didn't want to drink too much before the big night. This caused for Brittany to get a case of the "giggles", and then "touchy-feely" Brittany came out to play. Being in a public area, and in front of one of her friends, Santana asked for the check.

"Britt," Santana puts her arm around her and whispers into her ear. "Don't start something that we can't finish until about five hours from now."

"Ugh, you're right. You're always right 'cause you're so smart. You're my smarty pants….pants… party in my pants and you're invited."

"Oh my god, Britt. You only had two and a half glasses."

"I'm fine! I swear, just let me drink some water before we go. But tonight….I wants to do that _thing _again."

"Okay!" Santana awkwardly attempts to draw attention away from Brittany's words. "So Quinn! It was great getting to meet you. You should come to the show tonight! I'm sure we can get you a ticket."

"That sounds great; I've got no plans!"

"Awesome!" Brittany shouts.

The waiter brings by the check, and Santana insists on paying despite Quinn's protests. Brittany chugs a glass of water, and they head out the door. After swinging by the hotel room to pick up her gear, the three hail a cab to the theater. Brittany and Santana sit cuddled up next to each other, while Quinn is on the phone with her mother. Santana rests her head on Brittany's shoulder as they both look out the window at the streets they used to call home.

"Do you miss it?" Santana asks.

"I thought that I would," she replies. "But now I can't imagine living anywhere else other than in LA. Or with anyone else other than you."

Santana takes her hand that is draped across Brittany's thigh and turns the girl's chin to face her. She places a light kiss on her lips, "You mean that?"

"Of course I do. I can't wait to wake up next to you every day and brush our teeth next to each other in the bathroom."

"What if you get sick of me, huh? I take up a lot of counter space in the bathroom."

"Then we'll get you a shelf," Brittany brushes a hair from Santana's cheek.

"And what if I let dishes pile up in the sink?"

"Then I'll do them, and you can make it up to me."

"And what if I practice my songs too loudly."

"I'll tell you to sing louder," Brittany takes Santana's hand and kisses her knuckles.

"I can't wait either," she smiles.

The cab pulls up outside the theater where a crew is setting up a small red carpet area for entrances. Brittany helps carry Santana's bag, and they head inside to the front lobby. There is a small stage set up against the side of the room, and a young man is finishing setting up the audio.

"I just have to go through a quick sound check. Why don't you guys go wait at the bar?"

"I don't think this one needs another drink, but I sure could use one," Quinn replies.

"Okay, I'll meet you back here," Santana drops her guitar case and walks to Brittany. "Bye, sweetie," she hugs her and kisses her quickly.

"See you later."

The two girls walk across the lobby to the dimly lit bar next to the theater. As they enter through the door, Brittany turns back one last time to look at her girlfriend. Santana opens her case and takes out her cables. She looks up and sees Brittany staring back at her. Her face brightens with a giant smile, and she gives Brittany an air kiss across the room. Quinn, who had already entered and is sitting at the bar, watches the exchange.

"Alright, lovebird, I'm feeling lonely over here!"

"Sorry, Quinn," Brittany walks in and joins her at the bar.

"Another water for you?"

"Yea, I don't know how I got so tipsy before."

"Vodka soda and a water, please," Quinn says to the bartender and turns back to Brittany. "You were just having a good time, no big deal."

"Yea," Brittany nods.

"You look really happy with her."

"I am," she smiles. "I didn't know it was possible to fall in love so easily."

"It is when you've found the one. And I'm sorry about earlier with the whole marriage thing."

"No, it's okay," Brittany waves her off. "It's just…it can be an elephant in the room in a new relationship I guess."

"So you haven't talked about it yet?"

"We talked about how we both see each other in our futures, but the 'M' word hasn't come up…..except," Brittany takes the water from the bartender.

"Except what?"

"Well, on the plane ride over, I think Santana was about to say that one day she would ask me to marry her."

"No way!"

"She got cut off, so I'm not a hundred percent sure. But then at dinner, when she mentioned New York and how gay marriage is legal here, I don't know. I feel like she's hinting at it."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"We've always done everything at a quicker pace than most. It's only been three months."

"People can be together for years before they get married, and wind up getting a divorce. Time is relative. Look," Quinn sips her drink, "just talk to her about it if it's weighing on your mind so much. You are clearly both madly in love with each other. Just talking about marriage doesn't mean you have to walk down the aisle weeks later. Sometimes it's just good to know if you're on the same page."

"I know that we are," Brittany smiles and as she does, the sound of Santana singing reverberates through the lobby and into the bar.

A little while later the audience starts arriving for the screening, and Brittany and Quinn go back to the lobby. "Should we find our seats?" Brittany asks.

"Just a sec," Santana sets down her guitar, leaving it in the care of the sound guy. "Okay, let's go," Santana hops off the stool and holds out her arm for Brittany.

A large crowd is milling about in the lobby and Santana spots Ben and his filmmaking partner talking with a reporter.

"I wanted to show it through the eyes of a same-sex couple; to show that all humans fall in love the same way, regardless of gender. It's not deviant, and it's not abnormal," Ben speaks into the small recording device.

"With the political climate that our country is currently experiencing, are you hoping that this might garner some attention for said political purposes as well as artistic?"

"First and foremost, I am a filmmaker, but I am also a citizen that believes in civil rights for all, and if my film can help open the eyes of those who don't understand or don't agree with same-sex marriage then I would very pleased with that as well."

"Thanks for your time, good luck tonight."

"Thank you," Ben spots Santana waiting nearby. "Hey, Santana! Let's head in, it should be starting soon."

Santana hands Brittany and Quinn their tickets, and they venture down to the front row. Santana sits down with Brittany on her left and immediately takes her hand. Once the theater fills, an event producer asks Ben to introduce the film, handing him a microphone.

"Go Ben!" Brittany cheers, and Santana and Quinn join in on clapping.

"Good evening, everyone. I'd like to thank you all for coming to the premiere of our short film _The First Ten_. The experience I had writing and directing this project was by far my favorite, so I hope you all enjoy."

The lights dim and the film starts. Brittany spends the entirety of the short with her hand clasped around Santana's. They watch the two women on screen falling in love over the course of a day, and it does nothing but remind them of their own relationship. The moment that Santana's song starts playing over images of the lead characters realizing their feelings for each other, Brittany turns to face Santana. She leans in to whisper in her hear, "I am so proud of you. I love you."

Santana beams and leans in for a kiss. "I love you too."

The short soon ends with a standing ovation from the audience. Ben stands in front of the screen again, taking a bow and thanking the audience.

"We have some time for a short Q&A before the after-party and performance in the lobby."

The event producer walks down the aisle handing the microphone to those with questions.

"Hi, Josh Stewart – New York Times. First of all I'd like to say congratulations on a fantastic story. I thought it was very well shot and the music perfectly complimented the plot. Who wrote that song and who performed it?"

"Why don't I let her introduce herself then?" Ben waves for Santana to join him in front. "Miss Santana Lopez."

Santana nervously gets up from her seat and takes the microphone from Ben. "Hi, everyone. Yes, I'm Santana Lopez. I wrote and recorded that song specifically for this film, however the meaning behind it is very near to my heart," she looks to Brittany smiling back at her. "I was so honored that Ben asked me to write a song for this film, and I can honestly say that it changed my life ever since."

"Do you have an album or any way for people to get this song?"

"That's still being worked out at the moment, but I should be starting work on my first album under Warner very soon."

Santana sits back down, and Ben continues fielding questions from the audience. Ben parts ways with the girls, and the three exit the theater so Santana can prepare to perform her song live. Catering has set up in the lobby and the audience is now taking full advantage of the free food.

"I'm going to go tune up. Can you grab me some shrimp?" Santana asks Brittany.

"Sure thing," Brittany grabs around Santana's elbow to pull her closer. "Kiss first."

Santana laughs and obliges by putting her hand behind Brittany's head, connecting their lips. "Mmm, you always taste so sweet."

"Wanky."

"Hey, that's my line," Santana pouts and Brittany kisses it away. "Listen, I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to say that the song was about you earlier. I don't know how comfortable you would be with that. I mean, there are reporters here and everything."

"I've already told all the people who are important to me, so nothing would make me prouder than for the rest of the world to know that I am dating a woman, and that she's the most talented, most beautiful girl ever."

"I could say the same," Santana hugs her one last time and starts tuning her guitar.

Brittany and Quinn pick up some hors d'oeuvres, piling their tiny plates with bruschetta, crab puffs, and shrimp for Santana. They walk back over to Santana sitting on the stool.

"Here's your shrimp," Brittany holds out the plate.

"Thanks, Britt. Can you put one in my mouth? My hands are full," Santana replies.

"Okay, if you don't want me to use your 'wanky' line, then stop making it so easy," Brittany laughs and holds a shrimp up to her mouth.

"Noted," Santana smiles, "I think we're starting soon," Santana takes a bite.

"Okay, I'll let you focus then," Brittany sets the plate down on a nearby table and she and Quinn stand off to the side of the stage.

The producer walks up to the mic and addresses the crowd. "Good evening again. If you'll direct your attention this way, we've got a special performance. You just heard her new song featured in _The First Ten_, and she's going to perform for you now. Please welcome Santana Lopez."

The crowd starts walking towards the center of the room, clapping.

"Thank you very much. This song is very special to me. I met the love of my life by pure chance, and every day I wonder how I got so lucky as to even meet her. Her name is Brittany, and she is standing right over there."

Brittany looks around at the audience staring at her. She smiles shyly, and Quinn gives a little "woo-hoo!" causing the rest of the room to laugh. Brittany puts her hand over her eyes in embarrassment and gives Quinn a small slap on the arm.

"This song is called 'Time For Us'," Santana sits on the stool and repositions the microphone. Throughout the performance, Brittany never takes her eyes off her girlfriend once. She thinks she has never heard Santana sound any better, and when she sings the line "I don't want to live without you here with me" Brittany's eyes fill with tears. Santana notices her girlfriend starting to cry and tries to stop herself from getting choked up as well. She makes it through to the end of the song, says a quick thank you to the audience, and sets her guitar down. She hops off the tiny stage and rushes over to Brittany.

"Hey," she wraps her arms around her girlfriend. She rocks them back and forth, rubbing her hands along Brittany's back.

"Sorry, I just-"

"It's okay; what's going on?"

"It's nothing, I just got so…you know, hearing you sing that, and what you said before," Brittany wipes at her eyes, "It feels like I just fell in love with you all over again."

"Oh, Britt," Santana squeezes her into a hug. "I love you too. More and more each day," she whispers into her ear.

"Well, I'm going to head out and let you two continue this love fest," Quinn interrupts. "It was really great to meet you, Santana."

"Same. I hope we can see each other again soon," she gives Quinn a hug.

"And Britt, let's promise to call each other more often, okay?"

"Of course," Brittany leans in for a hug.

"And I you better make me a bridesmaid at your wedding," she whispers out of Santana's ear-shot.

"I will," Brittany replies and they wave as Quinn walks out the theater.

Santana starts packing up her things, and Brittany stands by watching.

"Hey, is it too far to walk back to the hotel you think?"

"Um, not sure, why?" Santana asks while coiling up her cables.

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay, if it's too far then we can take a cab the rest of the way."

"Okay," Brittany nods. She takes Santana's bag for her, and Santana carries her guitar out the door.

They start walking north up the avenue, feeling the crisp October air. Brittany wraps her arms around herself to keep warm.

"I can't believe I didn't think to bring our jackets. I guess we got too used to warm weather already," Santana notes and puts her arm around Brittany's waist.

"Yea, we did."

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about? You're not breaking up with me right? Because you kind of just told me how much you loved me," Santana laughs.

"No, of course not. It's about; well…I'm not sure how to approach this."

"Britt, it's me. You can tell me anything."

"I know…well, when we were about to take off at LAX….I may have heard you wrong, but-"

"Oh," Santana stops in her tracks. "So you did hear," she faces Brittany.

"I need you to actually say it though," she clasps onto Santana's arms.

Santana drops her case to the ground and reaches for Brittany's hands. "On the airplane, before the captain interrupted me…I was about to say that one day I am going to ask you to marry me."

Brittany breathes a deep sigh out of her mouth, "I thought that's what you were going to say," she nods.

"I meant it," Santana replies, "and I mean it now too."

Brittany once again starts to tear up, "I don't know why I am so weepy today."

Santana wipes a tear away with her thumb, "So it doesn't scare you?"

"No," Brittany shakes her head. "I thought that it might, but hearing you say those words to me…I would marry you right this second."

"I would too, Brittany. But I really want to do this the right way because I really don't want to mess this up."

"Me neither," Brittany adds. "I think we should live together first."

"Yea, and plus I kind of have a plan on how I want to propose, so if we got married now then I wouldn't be able to surprise you."

"You do?" Brittany grabs behind Santana's neck.

"Yup, but don't even try to get me to tell you what it is. My lips are sealed. You won't know when or where it's going to happen, but Miss Pierce, you've been warned."

"I love you so much," Brittany brings their faces close and kisses her lips.

"I love you too."

"Now-," Brittany steps back and walks to the curb, holding up her hand.

"What are you doing? I thought we were going to walk back?"

"We're going back to the hotel now, and I'm going to do that _thing_ for you again," Brittany hails down a cab. "Let's go," she throws the bag in the trunk and Santana follows suit.

The cab pulls up to their hotel, and Santana throws the driver a twenty. Brittany pulls Santana out of the cab by her arm, and they gather their things. They run through the lobby to the elevators, giggling past the other guests. Brittany throws the hotel door open and quickly shuts it behind them, leaving the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the knob.

"What can we use? I didn't bring them with me," Brittany asks looking around the room.

"I've got an idea," Santana walks over to her suitcase. "How about these?" holding a pair of her favorite black underwear.

"That might work. Now take off your clothes, and get on the bed."

"Fuck, I love when you get like this," Santana reaches down to palm Brittany's ass and leaves a kiss on her neck. She peels off her shirt, throwing it across the room. Then Santana shimmies out of her pants, taking her underwear with them. She turns around, trying to give Brittany a nice view, and crawls onto the bed. She moves her arms up and to the side. Brittany takes the underwear from Santana's suitcase and starts tying her girlfriend's wrists to the headboard. After making sure the knots aren't too tight, but will stay in place, Brittany starts stripping down.

"We don't have anything to restrain your ankles, but if you move too much then I might have to punish you," Brittany says while reaching behind her back to unhook her bra.

"Ooh, maybe I will then," Santana grins and starts moving her legs across the bed.

Brittany climbs onto the bed and straddles Santana's lap. "No," she puts her hands behind her on Santana's thighs. "You're not going to move a muscle."

"Yes, Ma'am," Santana growls.

Brittany moves to lie beside her, and starts sucking on Santana's neck. "You like this? Having no control?"

"Mmm, yes," Santana turns her head to the side, making more room for Brittany. "Do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Brittany husks while palming Santana's left breast.

"Mm-hm," Santana nods, writhing against the bed.

"In that case," Brittany gets up from the bed and goes into the bathroom. She comes out wearing a robe and holding the ice bucket. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back in one minute, I promise," Brittany blows her a kiss and walks out the door.

"Oh my god, we forgot to close the curtains…" Santana says, realizing that if someone in the building across the street had a pair of binoculars, then they were getting quite a show at the moment.

One minute and three seconds later, Brittany returns with a bucket full of ice.

"Oh thank god, Britt? Would mind shutting the curtains so that no pervs across the street can see me naked right now?"

"Oh shit," Brittany laughs and runs over to the window. "Sorry, San. I didn't even notice."

"It's okay, at least I look good. So what'd you bring me," she wriggles her eyebrows.

"What else would be in an ice bucket?" Brittany takes off her robe and crawls back onto the bed. She takes a cube in her hand and starts dragging it across Santana's stomach.

"Fuck, that's cold," Santana hisses.

"It'll feel great, trust me," Brittany moves it past her belly-button.

"I do. Ahhhh," she moans when Brittany puts it right on her clit. "Oh, wow."

"Told you," Brittany drags the ice back up her body to her nipples, circling each one. With her other hand she puts a cube in her mouth and lies on her stomach, placing her face in front of Santana's center. While keeping the ice to one side of her mouth, Brittany closes her lips around her girlfriend's clit. She sucks lightly while flicking her tongue rapidly. She buries her tongue deep between her folds, licking up from her opening back to her sensitive nub.

"Oh godddd, Britt," Santana moans. "Shit, I'm close." Brittany holds her legs down with her arms and sucks a bit harder on her clit, driving Santana over the edge. "Uhhhh, fuck! I love you," Santana's hips thrust into Brittany's mouth and her wrists struggle against the restraints. The cube melts down from Santana's heat, so Brittany moves back up Santana's body, melting the rest of it in her mouth. She kisses Santana hard, letting her taste herself on Brittany's cool lips. "Untie my hands. I need to hold you," Santana kisses across Brittany's chin down her jawline.

Brittany reaches across to untie the knot around Santana's left wrist, letting her immediately wrap her arm around Brittany's back. Once the other is untied, Santana pulls her down onto her body, molding them together. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," Brittany buries her face in Santana's neck. "Let's sleep."

"You don't want me to-"

"I just want to lie here with my future-fiancée," Brittany gets under the covers, inching them down under Santana's body to let her in.

"I like the sound of that," Santana kisses her lips softly. "Future-fiancéeeee."

"How long in the future?" Brittany asks, burying her fingers in Santana's hair.

"Nice try," Santana laughs and wraps her arms over Brittany's shoulders, pulling her close.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. As I mentioned on my tumblr (b-b-burntoshine), I had to type all of this one-handed (hence the shortened chapter and long wait). It just hurts too much to even sit up straight, but I wanted to update so as to not leave you all hanging. Thanks for reading and any reviews would make my day! **

"Whose box of kitchen utensils is this?"

"That's Rachel's," Brittany replies from across her soon-to-be-old apartment. "I've put all of her boxes on the left and mine on the right."

"That's the last of the kitchen then. What else needs to be packed?"

"Rachel and I can take care of the rest while you and Sarah pick up the rental truck."

"Are you sure you don't need help moving the boxes down the hall?" Santana takes the bottom of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"We'll be fine," Brittany crosses the living room towards Santana. "My knee feels great. See?" She flexes it back and forth with a kicking motion.

"Ok, but no heavy boxes," Santana pulls Brittany into her. She puts her head on the girl's shoulder. "Promise?"

"I promise," Brittany replies.

"Rachel! Don't let Brittany lift any heavy boxes!"

"Okay!" she replies in a sing-songy voice.

Brittany places kisses up and down Santana's neck. "Mmm, you smell good."

"I'm all gross and sweaty. It's October, how is it still so hot?"

"Just think of when it's December and everyone back in New York will have to deal with snow and freezing their asses off, while we will still have sunny, warm weather."

"Hallelujah," Santana throws back her head, shouting it to towards the ceiling. "I never want to look at snow again."

"What about this Christmas?"

"What about it?"

"Oh, well I was just thinking, since I'm going back east you would come with me. If you want," Brittany adds quickly.

"I guess I hadn't thought about it, but I think I could endure the snow again if it meant I could spend the holidays with you."

"Awesome," Brittany replies with a kisses down Santana's jawline. "You better get going. The sooner we move all of our stuff, the sooner we can use our new pool."

"That sounds so good right now, I might cry," Santana steps out of their embrace. "Ok, I'll be back in a little bit."

"Love you."

"I love you, too," Santana says while heading out the door.

"Brittany, have you seen my curling iron?" Rachel yells from the bathroom.

"No, are you sure you didn't already pack it away?"

"I can't remember at this point. I just started throwing things in boxes," Rachel emerges from the bathroom and walks into the living room. "Let me know if you find it in one of your boxes."

"Sure thing," Brittany takes a broom and starts sweeping up the kitchen floor.

"So, big day, huh?"

"Yea," Brittany tries to hide the big smile forming on her face. "I can't to get all this moved and be settled in."

"Well, it shouldn't take us too long to move my stuff down the hall. Thanks for helping, Britt."

"It's the least I could do."

"I'm going to miss having you around all the time."

"Me too, Rach," Brittany sets down the broom and holds her arms out to give her friend a hug. "You're my best friend and best roommate, and someday my Maid-of-Honor."

"Same to all of that," Rachel replies. "And hold on, why the wedding talk? You've never talked about that before. Did Santana…?"

"No," Brittany stops her, "But we did talk about it, and she said that one day she is going to ask me."

"Oh my god, Brittany! Are you serious?!" Rachel jumps towards her. Brittany nods, unable to keep from grinning. Rachel sees the sheer happiness exuding from her friend and gives her a giant hug. "When do you think she's going to do it?"

"I don't know; probably not for a while. She's going to be really busy soon with starting her album, and I'll be getting back to work soon hopefully."

"How do you think she'll do it?"

Brittany thinks for a moment and shrugs, "I don't know. It doesn't really matter to me how she asks."

"Maybe she'll take you to the beach or up on Mulholland. Or maybe a romantic dinner…"

"Those are all the biggest clichés, Rach. Santana doesn't seem the type to go for that."

"Maybe you're right. But you call me the moment she proposes, okay?"

"Sure, before I call my family, I'll call you."

Rachel nods, missing the sarcasm. "Let's move these boxes, shall we?"

An hour later, Brittany and Rachel are waiting on the curb of the apartment building waiting for Santana and Sarah to return with the truck.

"They better be here soon, or else someone is going to take this spot," Rachel says.

"So stand in the space then," Brittany suggests.

"And get clipped by some idiot speeding down the street? No thanks, I have an audition next week that I would like to show up alive to."

"What's it for?"

"Some indie film. I'm up for Freshman Girl #2. Apparently I can still pass for a fourteen year old, so that's good."

"Here they come!" Brittany points down the street. The truck pulls up slowly to the curb, and Brittany can see Santana through the windshield. She steps down into street to help her girlfriend park the large vehicle.

"Am I supposed to fit in this spot?" Santana says after rolling down her window.

"Yes. You can do it, it's large enough!" Rachel replies.

"We'll help guide you," Brittany walks up to the driver's side window.

"Thanks, Britt," Santana leans her head out for a kiss. "Okay, I'm going to back in."

Sarah hops out of the passenger side, and Rachel and Brittany step back to stand behind the truck. They watch as Santana slowly reverses into the space. The following fifteen minutes are filled with lots of yelling in Spanish, near misses with bumpers causing screeches from Rachel, and Brittany trying to calm them both.

"This really shouldn't be so difficult," Sarah says. "Let me try," she walks over to the truck which is currently parked at an angle.

"Go for it," Santana gets out and stands on the curb. "It's harder than it looks."

"I used to drive my Dad's tractors on the farm and had to park them in the barn. This should be easy."

"What? Why didn't we just have you do this from the start? I drove this thing all the way down Sunset! I nearly had a panic attack!"

Brittany puts her arm around Santana's shoulders and kisses her temple. "Easy, Santana," she laughs.

"Watch this, amateurs!" Sarah yells out the window and proceeds to parallel-park the truck in one swift move.

"Are we sure she's not a race car driver or something in her spare time?" Brittany asks bewildered.

"That's how you do it!" Sarah hops out of the truck and throws the keys to Santana.

"Can I just pay you to drive me around everywhere?" Rachel asks. "I'll seriously do it."

"Come on, new roomie. Let's get you settled into casa de Sarah."

"Let us know when you're about to leave so we can say our last goodbyes!" Rachel yells as they walk back into the building.

"They don't seem too sad to see us go," Santana stands with her hands on her hips.

"I think Rachel is just excited to have your bedroom now. She says she is going to put a stage in there."

"Maybe. I'm too hot to think right now. Let's get this over with," Santana laments.

Brittany lightly squeezes her arm. "No moping! This is our special day."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Santana pulls Brittany into her. "In a few short hours, we will be living together. Girlfriend and girlfriend."

Later that afternoon and seventeen trips from their old apartment building to the truck, and seventeen trips from the truck to their new apartment, Santana and Brittany lie on the floor in the middle of their new living room. None of the boxes have even begun to be unpacked.

"Oh my god, Britt," Santana exhales.

"I know."

"That was intense," Santana rolls over onto her side, facing Brittany.

"I don't think I could do that again for a long time. I need a moment to recover."

"My legs feel like jello."

"Same with my arm," Brittany replies. She peels off her tank top and throws it towards the bedroom. "It was the television that did it. Damn thing is heavy."

"I'm serious; I don't want to move again for a long time. Like years even. Let's stay here forever and ever."

"Forever sounds fantastic," Brittany rolls Santana onto her back and curls into her side. She looks up at her girl looking back at her, smiling from ear to ear. Santana drops her hands to Brittany's lower back, pulling her to lie directly on top of her.

"I know it's only been about five minutes," Santana whispers in her ear, "But I really love living with you."

Brittany breathes a happy sigh and lifts her head. "I do too," she drops her forehead to rest against Santana's. She runs her hand over her girlfriend's shoulder and collarbone. "It feels right."

"You know, I've lived in many different places. First with my parents, then with my cousin, on friend's couches….stranger's couches, but I know now, what it is to feel at home."

Brittany responds with a soft kiss to her cheek then one on her lips. "It's all ours," she tucks her head into the crook of Santana's neck, and they lie there for a few moments.

"What do you say we leave the unpacking for tomorrow? I want to go down to pool," Santana suggests.

"Brilliant," Brittany sits up off the floor. "Because as much as I love lying next to you, I'm sweating bullets right now."

Santana stands in front of the sea of boxes in the living room. "Ummm, where did we pack our swim suits?"

"And we didn't label any of the boxes, did we?"

"No….I want to cry," Santana pouts.

"I'll find them, hon."

"Thanks, I'm just going to lie here," Santana stretches out and shuts her eyes for a quick rest.

*Beep-Beep-Beep* *Beep-Beep-Beep*

Santana sits up and reaches for her phone next to the wall. "Hey Ben!"

"Hey, Santana. How's everything going? Haven't seen you at the bar lately?"

"Yea, I requested fewer hours since I need to start working on my album."

"Right, well the reason I called was that my film got picked up and is going to be made into a feature length."

"Wow, Ben! That's unbelievable! I mean, I believe it, because it was awesome. You know what I mean."

"Thanks, Santana. The reason I wanted to let you know was that I talked with the producers and they love your song so much, and they kind of want to highlight music in the film. You know, really heighten it; the whole _Garden State_ thing, except they want you to write the entire score for the film."

"Wait," Santana stands up. "What?"

"They want all original music. All your music. They talked with Warner and they're into the idea as well. They will probably be calling you soon; I wasn't supposed to tell you," Ben laughs.

"Wow, I…this is insane."

Brittany watches the phone conversation, trying to figure out what it's regarding.

"I'll do it, unless you don't like the idea because I would totally understand. It's your movie and it was your story and-"

"Santana, I want nothing more than your music. Trust me; I was on board with it from the start."

"Thanks, Ben, and congratulations. You really deserve this."

"You too, Santana. Talk to you soon."

"Bye."

"What was that about?" Brittany asks.

"I guess I am going to be doing a soundtrack," Santana replies, flabbergasted.

"Like a movie soundtrack?!"

"Yea," Santana nods. "Ben's film got green-lit."

"Oh my gosh, Santana!" Brittany leaps across the room, nearly tripping over a box of linens. "I'm so incredibly proud of you."

"How does this keep happening?" Santana responds, letting Brittany wrap her up in a bear hug.

"How does what keep happening?"

"All these great things. No one gets this lucky in real life, do they?"

"Sure they do. The ones that deserve it."

"Who's to say that I do?" Santana lifts her head from Brittany's shoulder.

"I say. If there's ever a person that deserves everything she ever wanted in life, it's you."

"Britt," Santana starts to get wistful and teary.

"I know," Brittany takes her face in her hands and kisses Santana's forehead, wiping a tear before it falls.

"Come on. Let's celebrate by jumping into the pool, christening every room in this apartment, and ordering a pizza."

"That sounds perfect."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hi there! So since there was demand for it, here is the immediate continuation of the last chapter. No plot here, ladies. So you know what that means! Let's get down to business :D**

**rubymay-89: Thanks! It wasn't easy, but I'm getting used to only using one arm :)**

**cml2187: Your wish has been granted! lol**

**castlewalls7: I'm glad you like her character! I think she's going to be a good roommate for Rachel**

**hlnwst: If only I had the money and capabilities to make the movie and sountrack a reality!**

**AB: I promise! I like fluff too**

**Heyaholic: I'll try to get the next one up soon!**

**chuckleshan: I wouldn't be surprised if he was behind my injury! That bastard probably has evil powers haha thanks for your review, I did take it easy for a few days. And now I've gotten quite good at this one-handed typing lol**

**BetTheDuckisInTheHat: Thanks, ducks lol. I definitely don't feel like a badass at the moment, but I will take that compliment!**

"Did you find where we packed all of our clothes?"

"No," Britt replied. "Let me check a few more boxes."

Santana helps and they start tearing open the boxes, not bothering to get a pair of scissors to cut the tape. "Why on earth did we not label anything?"

"Here! I found one of your swimsuits, and it's my favorite!" Brittany holds up the tiny white bikini and tosses it towards Santana. "Go change, I'm sure I'll find mine soon."

"You're the best," Santana hops over to Brittany and kisses her on top of her head. She stays next to Brittany and starts taking off her clothes. She shimmies out of her shorts, taking her underwear with them.

"What are you doing?" Brittany turns to see the strip show happening next to her face.

"We live alone now, remember? We can be naked all the time and no one will walk in on us," Santana peels off her shirt and unhooks her bra. She takes her bikini from off the floor and starts to put it on.

"I almost forgot and thought Rachel would walk in any second," Brittany laughs.

"Hurry up and find your bikini already! Or else I'm going to go jump in that pool all by myself."

"Sorry, but your little show was a bit distracting."

"You probably packed them with your bed sheets and towels," Santana says while tying her top on behind her back.

"Genius! That's where I put them and they are in….this box!" Brittany throws her comforter and sheets aside to find her swimsuits. "Thank god! Okay, let's do this," she quickly peels off her clothes to put on the bikini while Santana watches with her mouth agape. "Nothing you haven't seen before, honey," Brittany grabs her by the hand, pulling her towards the door. She takes their keys and a couple towels with them down to the pool.

They step out of the elevator and take a right down the hallway.

"It's this way, right? I can't remember," Santana asks, still holding onto Brittany's hand.

"Yea, it should be down this hall and to the left."

They spot the glass doors to the pool deck and rush over, excited to finally cool off after a long day of moving.

"I hope there's not a bunch of kids in here all the time, or like old hairy dudes," Santana says as they walk through the doors to find it completely empty. As the sun had just started to set, the lights inside the pool had lit, creating a pleasant glow across the pool deck.

"Looks like we won't have to worry about that tonight," Brittany exclaims. "It's all ours."

Santana throws the towels onto one of the lounge chairs and pulls her hair tie out. She walks over to the stone steps leading into the L-shaped pool, walks down a few, and then dives in. She resurfaces in the middle of the pool and looks for Brittany. "C'mon in, Britt. I'm lonely!"

Brittany steps out of her flip flops and slowly steps down into the pool. She holds onto the railing, careful to not slip. Once she reaches the bottom, she dives underwater. Santana watches as Brittany swims closer and closer to her.

"Hi," Brittany pops up out of the water and wipes her hair out of her face.

"Hey," Santana grabs Brittany behind her back and pulls them to the side of the pool. She rests her elbows on the cement and Brittany wraps her arms around Santana's back to stay afloat.

"This is nice," Brittany says and drops her head to Santana's shoulder.

"Mmhm," Santana turns to kiss Brittany's temple. "I'm so glad we're alone."

"I thought for sure there would be other people out here. Maybe October is too cold for them."

"You know, if we go into the far corner over there… I don't think anyone could see us from their window," Santana whispers in her ear.

"Are you sure?" Brittany looks around at the windows that face the pool. "We just moved in, and I would really hate to have to move again so soon."

"I'm positive. Look," Santana swims on her side while pulling Brittany by her wrist into the corner. "Turn around," she puts her hands on Brittany's hips to swivel her around. "There's only one apartment that could see us, but their blinds are closed and the lights are off."

"What if someone decides to come down for a swim?"

"We'll hear them open the door and have enough time to …gather ourselves. Plus no one is going to just assume that we were just having sex."

"You're right," Brittany pushes Santana against the wall, placing her hands flat on the cement. Brittany can just barely touch her toes to the bottom of the pool, but Santana has to tread water. So Brittany lifts underneath her girlfriend's leg with one hand to keep her afloat. "You're going to have to be quiet though," Brittany reminds her as she brings her right above Santana's waistband. "And keep your hands on the side of the pool."

"Ugh, Britt. Please," Santana begs, pulling Brittany's face towards her own with one hand. They share a deep kiss before Brittany slips her hand underneath Santana's bikini bottoms. "Ah, yes!"

"Shhhh, someone will hear you," Brittany attempts to quiet her while moving her fingers over Santana's clit. "Here, hold onto my neck and bite down on it if you have to." Brittany repositions the two of them so that she is leaning on one arm against the side of the pool, while Santana hangs onto Brittany.

"Don't stop," Santana begs and tries to push her hips into Brittany's hand. She grasps onto her shoulders, burying her face in her girlfriend's neck.

Brittany pauses her movement, and then drags her fingers down to Santana's opening. She takes a second to kiss Santana's shoulder before thrusting in slowly with two fingers. She hears Santana gasp into her right ear and takes the cue to start pumping in and out.

"Oh god, you feel so good," Santana whispers, clutching her arms tighter around Brittany's neck.

Rapids start forming in the corner of the pool from the movement of Brittany's arm, so she slows down and brings her thumb to rub into Santana's clit. She pushes her fingers as deep as they can go, curling them towards herself, and Santana's breathing becomes heavy.

"Almosss-"

"Yea?" Brittany brings her face around to look at her girlfriend. Santana picks her head up from Brittany's shoulder and nods in response.

With a few final thrusts of Brittany's wrist, Santana comes hard around her girlfriend's fingers. Her thighs trap Brittany's hand and she presses their lips together, letting the sound of her moaning become trapped in their mouths.

"Mmmm, Brittany," Santana drops kisses down her jaw.

"Looks like we're in the clear," Brittany laughs and swims them over to the shallow end so that they can both stand.

"Let's sit for a bit longer," Santana walks over to the stone steps leading out of the pool and sits down where the water reaches just past her chest, with her back against the wall. "Come here," she holds her arms open for Brittany to sit between her legs.

"I'm never getting out of this pool," Brittany relaxes her body against Santana's.

"What will you do about food?"

"My awesome girlfriend will bring me meals."

"Oh, really?" Santana encircles Brittany's waist with her arms. "What about sleep?"

"I'll get one of those float thingies."

"And what about me? How will I sleep without you next to me?"

"I guess this idea was flawed from the start," Brittany turns over in Santana's lap to kiss her. "Unless we get an extra big float thingy."

"You would do that for me?" Santana laughs. "Wait, then who will bring us food?"

"Delivery! Or Rachel."

"Genius," Santana kisses Brittany's forehead. "Still one more problem. Bathroom breaks."

"Yup, no way around that," Brittany stand up in the water. "New plan! Let's go back to our apartment, order pizza, use our fabulous bathroom, and sleep in our comfy bed," she holds her hand out for Santana to take and leads her out of the pool. Brittany takes a towel and holds it open for Santana to wrap around her shoulders. She takes the other towel and dabs at Santana's face, catches droplets of water around her eyes. Once her face is dry, Brittany presses a kiss to Santana's nose. She puts the fluffy towel around herself and they both walk back to the elevator.

Once back in their room, Santana changes into a pair of sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt, while Brittany tries to find a pizza delivery place on her phone.

"I don't know any of these places," Brittany says as she swipes at her screen.

"Just pick the one that's closest to here and that has the most Italian name."

"Sounds good to me. Anything besides the pizza?"

"Ooh, get some mozzarella sticks! And a Caesar salad," Santana adds while attempting to put back together the coffee table they had to disassemble for the move.

"Someone's hungry."

"You kind of worked up my appetite for me down in the pool," Santana replies while screwing a leg onto the table.

"Speaking of…you know I'm just not that hungry right now to eat all this food we're about to order. Maybe we should just stick with the pizza….or you could help me work up my appetite," Brittany teases while leaning against the kitchen counter.

Santana drops the screwdriver in her hand and stands up. She locks eyes with Brittany who wears a smirk on her face. Santana walks over towards the kitchen with an idea brewing in her mind. Brittany stands with her back against the counter, and Santana stands in front of her. She puts her arms around Brittany's waist and carefully lifts her up onto the granite countertop next to the sink.

"Wait, my suit's still a little damp," she laughs.

"Let's get rid of it then," Santana hooks her thumbs under the waistband and pulls the suit down her legs. "Do you have the phone number of the pizza place? Let's call first so we don't have to wait even longer. I am _very _hungry."

"Okay. Just a second," Brittany reaches for her phone and dials the number. She puts it to her ear and waits for a response.

Santana pulls Brittany's thighs so that she is sitting on the edge and drops to her knees.

"What are you doi-hello?"

Santana spreads Brittany's legs apart and brings her face to her center. She drags her tongue up through Brittany's folds, while holding down her legs with her forearms.

"Yes, ummm, I'd like to place an oh-order for delivery," Brittany struggles to utter a complete sentence. She places her hand on the back of Santana's head, gently gripping at her hair. "Yes, a large pepperoni, mozzarella sticks, and ughhhhhhh a large Caesar salad," she has to hold the phone away from her mouth as she releases a moan. Santana starts lightly sucking on Brittany's clit, looking up to watch Brittany squirm while on the phone. "That's it. Yessss, I mean yes that's everything. The address is 1124 Kings Road. Okaythanksbye!" Brittany drops the phone onto the counter. "Oh fuck! Sannnnn," she brings her other hand to Santana's head, pushing her gently towards where she needs her. "I can't believe you would dooooo that."

Santana stops to take a breath, "You handled it like a champ."

"Don't stop now! I'm close," Brittany leans back and holds onto the cabinet above her head.

Santana buries her face back between Brittany's legs, enclosing her mouth around her clit and holding her tongue stiff while Brittany moves her hips upwards. She hums gently to create a vibration while sucking slightly harder, which immediately sends Brittany over the edge.

"Ughhh, shit. Santana!" Brittany's hips stop moving as her body freezes in climax, then relaxes as she rides out the aftershocks.

Santana stands up off the floor while licking her lips. "So are feeling hungry now? Because I just ate, soooo."

Brittany laughs and pulls Santana to stand between her legs. "You're unbelievable," she pulls on her shirt to bring their faces together for a sweet kiss. "And that was really hot."

"So was it a guy or a girl on the other end? Ew, it wasn't like an old man was it? If so, I immediately regret that decision."

"For your information….it was a lady. And she sounded our age."

"Wait, I don't like that either," Santana pouts. "She got to hear you all _moany _and whatnot."

"Don't worry, honey. You're the only one that gets to see it," Brittany hops down off the counter. "Now let's put our bed back together before the pizza gets here, so that we don't have to sleep on the floor tonight."

"And that will be one more room we can check off our _list_."


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hi lovely readers! Sorry again for a delayed update. And the next one will probably be just as long of a wait. Some unfortunate personal things happening at the moment. So it could take me awhile to start the next chapter :( But I will be back as soon as I can, I promise! Thank you for all the new follows/favorites/and as always, reviews make my day!**

**ScarlettDancer: Thanks! I strive for ultimate cuteness lol**

**Castlewalls7: Haha glad you enjoyed all the christening!**

**Heyaholic: ALL the rooms! They keep a list on their fridge to check off as they go haha**

**crazykrew: Haha sorry there was no quickie wedding back in vegas :( and who would have known I predicted the Finding Nemo sequel! lol**

**chuckleshan: I aim to please my readers! :) **

**AB: Yep, they will always find the time for each other!**

**Gleek1025: Thanks so much! Glad you like it!**

**BetTheDuckisIntheHat: Thanks, ducks. You're the best!**

**Brooke Ferguson: I love seeing new people find my fic! So glad you are enjoying it!**

It is early on a late October morning, and Brittany and Santana are asleep in bed. Brittany has her left leg thrown across Santana's hip as they face each other. Santana's right arm is clutching at her girlfriend's tank top, just below her shoulder. The sun has yet to fully rise, but it begins to peek through the bedroom shades. They stopped turning on the air conditioning at night as the season began to change, and even though by Los Angeles terms that only meant a ten degree change in temperature, Brittany and Santana's bodies had begun to adjust to warm weather living. At Brittany's request, they piled both their comforters on the bed last night.

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"Ughhhhh," Santana turns her body into Brittany, attempting to prolong her slumber. "What is that noise?"

"Sorry, sweetie," Brittany reaches for her phone. "I know we haven't had to use an alarm lately."

"Oh yea!" rasps out as she Santana fully awakens. "It's your first day back!" She rolls over on top of Brittany and peppers kisses all over her face.

"If you don't stop, I might never get there," Brittany struggles to keep herself from grabbing Santana by the ass and having a morning quickie. "I need to get there early to do some extra stretching."

"Could you drop me off at the studio on the way?" Santana drops back down to lie next to Brittany.

"Yea, sure, but I thought you were going in this afternoon?"

"I don't have a car, remember?" Santana laughs. "We've been able to share yours since you were on leave, but this might get a little more complicated now."

"Well, I can drop you off this morning, and maybe someone could give you a ride back? Or else I won't be able to get you until late tonight."

"I'm sure I'll figure something out," Santana kisses Brittany's forehead and then her lips before getting out of bed.

Brittany rolls out of bed a few minutes later while Santana is in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She walks in behind her girlfriend at the sink and puts her arms around her waist. Santana watches Brittany place her head against her shoulder and close her eyes.

"You okay?" Santana asks through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Brittany just nods her head slightly and grips Santana tighter. "I just…I'm going to miss getting to spend so much time with you."

Santana spits into the sink and turns around. "I know, me too. But think of how awesome it's going to be when we finally get home at the end of each day. It'll be like Christmas 365 days a year."

"So I can unwrap you the second I get home?"

"Mmm, definitely," Santana leans in for a kiss. "Just don't rip my clothes to shreds."

"I'll try not to," Brittany laughs and lets Santana kiss her. "Alright, I have to shower."

"Okay, what would you like for breakfast?"

"I don't know, I was just going to have a granola bar on the way," Brittany replies as pulls off her tank top.

"I'll just….uh…"

"You'll just….?" Brittany asks and pulls down her underwear.

"I'll cook up some….," Santana stares down her girlfriend, her eyes scanning over her body.

"Some what?" Brittany steps closer and takes out her hair tie, letting her blonde hair fall down to her shoulders.

"I forget," Santana murmurs.

Brittany looms over her with a smirk growing on her face. "Good to know that all _this_ hasn't bore you yet," she whispers, gesturing towards her naked body. Brittany then takes her left hand towards the bottom of Santana's t-shirt and begins lifting it upwards.

"Britt," Santana's eyes roll back into her head as Brittany drops to her knees and places kisses across Santana's abdomen. "I really did want to cook you breakfast."

Brittany stands back up and walks over to the shower and turns on the tap. "We can get some along the way to work," she kneels and tests the temperature with her hand. "Don't you want to take a shower with me?" She turns the shower on, closes the curtain, and walks back to Santana standing at the sink.

"I had it all planned out in my head last night. To make you the perfect breakfast on your first day back to work," Santana pouts. "But then you had to go and get all naked."

"Aw, Santana," Brittany grabs her hands to pull her in for a hug.

"Naked hug is not going to help the situation," she mutters into Brittany's shoulder.

"You're the sweetest," Brittany rubs down Santana's back. "And we can hold off until tonight. It's for the best. I wouldn't want things to get too intense, then slip and hurt myself again."

"Right," Santana nods and presses a kiss to Brittany's collarbone. "Now go and let me do my thing in the kitchen."

"Okay, I love you," Brittany kisses her forehead before stepping into the shower.

Santana pads into the kitchen and searches through a cabinet. She throws a pan on the stove and turns on the gas.

"Let's see," she leans down into the fridge. "Eggs….cheese….salsa! Yes," she grabs the handful of ingredients and shuts the door. Santana starts prepping all the food, cutting up some fruit, and brews up some coffee. She starts humming a tune to herself as she cuts into a mango. She works out the melody until it's just right and starts adding words.

"Slicing up a mangoooo, gonna drink a cup of joeeeee. Next I'll take the egg and crack it, take the cheese out of the packet," she throws the pieces of fruit into a bowl. "Nailed it."

Fifteen minutes later, Brittany steps out of the bathroom in just a towel. Santana watches her with a smile as she walks into the bedroom and shut the door. She returns her attention to the tortillas warming up in the pan. She picks them up carefully and finishes plating the dishes.

"Honey! Breakfast is ready!" Santana carries the plates over to the table and sits, taking a sip of coffee.

Brittany comes running out from the bedroom, clad in her baggy dance shirt and sweatpants. "Wow!"

"Yep," Santana stands with a smug grin on her face. "Who's the world's greatest girlfriend?"

Brittany takes a seat at the table, unfolding the napkin on her lap. "This looks amazing, San."

"Huevos rancheros, just like Tio used to make for me."

"You're the best," Brittany leans over to give Santana a kiss.

"So what are you going to be working on today?"

"A commercial for prescription pills. It should be a breeze. One day of working out the choreography, one day of rehearsal, and one day of shooting."

"You think they'll give you any free merchandise?"

"Well, unless you plan on popping some erectile dysfunction pills…"

"Gross, nevermind," Santana laughs.

"I just want our next project to be a little more exciting. I've been away so long; I'd give anything to do a hip hop video or something. Not some pansy ass television ad with middle aged men twirling around in circles."

"I'm sure the next one will be better, Britt," Santana replies through a mouthful of eggs.

"Hopefully," she takes a sip of coffee. "What are you going to work on today?"

"I've got a couple new ideas floating around, so I'm going to see if I can turn those into songs. Then we're going into the studio later this week."

"That's so hot," Brittany blurts out.

Santana nearly chokes on her food. "How?"

"Because you're like totally a rock star now."

"Let's not count the chickens yet, Britt."

"What chickens?"

"I mean, who knows if my album will even be released?"

"I know it will," Brittany drops her fork to take Santana's hand in hers. "And even if somehow it doesn't, you're still my rock star."

Santana lifts their hands to her lips, and with a smile, she places a kiss to Brittany's knuckles. "So you won't leave me if I become like one of those _Where Are They Now?_ has-beens?"

"Never."

Brittany pulls her car up in front of the Warner building and puts it in park. "You have reached your final destination," she says in a computer-like voice.

"Thanks, Britt. I'll let you know if I need a ride later, okay?"

"Okay," Brittany leans across the console, and Santana gives her a long, drawn out kiss.

"Have a great day at work."

Brittany nods, "I love you."

"Love you more," Santana grabs her guitar from the back seat and shuts the door. She waves as Brittany pulls away from the curb and heads inside.

Santana immediately goes up to Mary's office to say a quick hello before locking herself in one of the songwriting rooms. She knocks on the door and waits for a response.

"Come in!"

"Hi, Mary!" Santana closes the door behind her.

"There she is! Come sit. I was actually just talking about you on the phone."

"Uh-oh," Santana jokes.

"We've been talking to a couple writers that we want you to work with."

"Oh, I thought everything was going well."

"It has, we only want to bring on a couple more so that we can get things moving a little faster."

"Okay, well I have a couple new ideas that I think I can flesh out today."

"Great, I'm waiting to hear back from this guy Michael Thorne. You're going to love him. He's worked on multiple Grammy winners and Billboard number ones."

"Wow, I can't wait to meet him then," Santana replies.

"I'll let you know once I hear back, and Santana," Mary's voice changes to a serious tone, "The label is planning on fast-tracking this album for a February release."

"What, like February 2015 or something?"

"No," Mary laughs, "In four months."

Santana's face drops. "Oh, shit….sorry! I mean…are you sure?"

"We and the label have both loved the first two songs you recorded. Both I think are potential singles. If you can get this album nearly finished by December, they want to release a single right after the new year. Think you can handle it?"

"I won't let you down," Santana smiles. "I promise."

"Better get to writin', lady. See what you can do today on your own, and then maybe later this week I can get Michael in the studio with you."

Santana heads down to her temporary work space; it's a small room with a piano, a desk with a computer, and a couch. She sets her case down and takes a peek outside the window. Cars fly by along Santa Monica Boulevard as the sun beats down. She opens the blinds just a tad and sits down on the couch with her guitar, notebook, and pencil.

Santana closes her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind of all thoughts in order to hear the melodies sitting dormant in her mind.

"Slicing up a mango, gonna drink a cup of joeee….damn it," Santana sighs. "Get out of my head!"

She continues humming the melody while picking away on her guitar strings. It takes her the rest of the day to transform the words to her "Cooking Breakfast Song" into something a little more _artistic_. By the time she's finished it's nearly four pm. She takes out her phone to text Brittany.

'What time are you going to be done? XOX'

Santana lies down on the couch and shuts her eyes while she waits for a response. The day has completely exhausted her, and the pressure to start getting songs written even faster has started weighing down on her. Santana jerks awake. She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep. She checks her phone and sees a new message from Brittany.

'Might be another hour or so :( Can you get a ride?'

Santana packs up her belongings and goes down to the lobby. She debates calling a cab until she thinks of a better idea.

Later, across town, Brittany pulls her car into the garage after a long and frustrating day at work. She grabs her bag from the passenger seat and heads up to their apartment, happy to be able to finally be able see Santana. As she opens the door to the apartment, her phone rings.

'San?' she answers.

'Hey, sweetie. Could you go down and open the garage gate for me?'

'Why? Is the lobby door not working or something'

'Just come down and let me in.'

'Okay,' Brittany replies skeptically and goes down to the garage to get the opener from her car.

She points the remote at the gate and watches as someone drives through it in a shiny, silver SUV.

"Do not tell me…." Brittany gawks as she spots Santana behind the wheel.

The car pulls up next to her and the window rolls down. "Don't be mad!"

"Did you buy this or steal it?"

Santana parks the car in their second spot next to Brittany's car and gets out. "I needed a ride home."

"Have you ever heard of cabs?"

Santana walks up to Brittany and hugs her, rubbing her hands over her back. "We both need cars here. And I got it used. Plus it's a hybrid."

"San," Brittany laughs, "You don't have to explain it to me. It's your money."

"I know, but…," she steps back to look at her, "we're in this together now. You know?"

Brittany smiles and grabs Santana's hand. "I know. You and me," she smiles. "And I'm really glad to see you."

"What's wrong?" Santana sees the worried look on Brittany's face.

"Nothing," she shakes her head, "It's just…work was terrible today."

"What happened?" Santana rubs her thumb over Brittany's knuckles.

"It's just so frustrating. I knew it would be, but I just felt like I should be doing more than these dumb commercials. We did one video months ago and ever since then all they have booked are ads."

"Hey, like I told you this morning," Santana searches Brittany's eyes to make contact. "Things will get better, and if they don't? I know you can find a job you love. You are so talented and if you want to leave this company, I have no doubt you will be hired by someone else seconds later."

"I don't know, San," Brittany sighs.

"Well, I do. Don't waste time being unhappy."

"You're right," Brittany pulls her in for a hug. "I'll give it a little bit longer and see what happens. But just so you know…you make me the happiest."

Santana squeezes Brittany in her arms. "I love you," she takes her head off Brittany's shoulder to give her a kiss.

"So, an SUV, huh?" Brittany pulls away to look at the car.

"Yea, I figured having a large car would be nice to have. You know, in case we need some extra room for whatever reason."

"For what?" Brittany wraps her arms around Santana's waist, pulling her back into her.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe we need to move some furniture, haul some lumber, buy massive amounts of bulk products from Costco…"

"Anything else?" Brittany pecks Santana's cheek.

"Hmm, I could think of a few other things."

"Show me," Brittany opens the back door to the SUV and climbs in.

"Oh my god," Santana utters as she gets pulled into the car by her collar. She shuts the door behind her and watches as Brittany starts taking off her shirt. "What if someone walks by?"

"It's dark down here, and your windows are tinted," she throws her shirt to the floor.

"What if we shake the car, someone will obviously know what we're doing."

Brittany pulls Santana onto her lap. "Stop thinking so much," she starts sucking on her girlfriend's neck.

"Sweet jesus, Britt," Santana moans.

Brittany unbuttons and pulls down the zipper to Santana's pants and swiftly puts her hand down her underwear. "Just relax," she whispers.

"Oh my god, Brittany," Santana moves her hips into Brittany's hand. She brings her face towards her and kisses Brittany deeply. She licks her tongue over the girl's bottom lip and sucks it into her mouth. Brittany keeps rubbing over Santana's clit as they furiously make out, letting their tongues massage each other's. "Please," Santana begs.

Brittany pushes two fingers gently into her and wraps her other arm around Santana's waist to guide her movements. Santana grabs onto the headrest behind Brittany and starts riding her hand. "I love you," she sighs and grabs Brittany's breast over her bra.

"I love you too," Brittany moves her other hand up to Santana's neck and pulls it towards her mouth. She sucks on Santana's clavicle, leaving a red mark which causes Santana to groan into Brittany's shoulder.

"Don't stop," she pleads and starts thrusting her hips faster. Brittany curls her fingers inside of Santana and rubs her thumb over her clit. "Mmmm, Brittany. Ughh," Santana comes with a stifled moan into Brittany's neck as the entire SUV shakes where it stands.

"Wow," Brittany smiles with pride. She slides her fingers out of Santana and brings them up to her mouth.

"Oh my-" Santana watches her girlfriend licking her fingers clean. "You know what that does to me, Brittany."

"I forget, tell me," Brittany feigns ignorance with a grin.

Santana reaches for Brittany's shirt on the floor and starts putting it over her head. "I'll tell you upstairs in our bed," she zips up her pants and pulls Brittany out of the door.

She pulls her shirt down over her chest. "By the way, I officially approve of your car purchase," Brittany grins. "In case you were wondering."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Hey everyone! Finally got this chapter written. Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully from here on out, I can get them out more frequently like I used to. I can't believe this is Chapter 30 already. I didn't think I would write more than ten chapters to this thing, so thank you to all you readers who have stuck around and those that have reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback and nice words of encouragement. It really helps keep me going and brightens my day! And thank you to those who sent me nice messages regarding my personal stuff. I really appreciate your words and while it's been hard, things are getting better :) Let me know what you think of this chapter, and happy reading!**

Brittany stirs awake on a Saturday morning to the sound of singing coming through the bedroom walls. She glances to her side and notices Santana missing. Putting the two pieces together in her early morning stupor, she realizes her girlfriend got up extra early on a weekend to write songs. Brittany throws the cover off of her legs and stands up out of bed. She stands up on her tip toes and reaches her arms up in the air to stretch out the kinks. She eyes a pair of shorts in the corner that had been thrown there the previous night and puts them on. Once out in the living room she sees Santana sitting on the floor facing the balcony. She has her notebook in her lap and her guitar placed next to her. Brittany doesn't want to interrupt any sort of roll her girlfriend might be on, so she softly pads into the kitchen, puts her elbows on the counter and watches Santana at work.

"Ugh," Santana groans and scribbles her pen against the notepad. She tears out the page and crumples it into a ball before throwing it over her shoulder. Santana sighs loudly and rests her head on her hand. "You are so lame."

Brittany frowns and takes a few steps into the living room. "Hey, don't talk about my girlfriend like that."

Santana jerks around with wide eyes. "Jesus! Brittany, you scared the crap out of me!" she puts one had on her chest, breathing deeply. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see that you are working yourself too hard."

"No, I'm not working hard enough. That's the whole point. I need to get something finished. _Soon_," Santana stands up and walks towards the kitchen.

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself. Take a break."

"I don't have time to take a break," Santana pours herself a cup of coffee.

"I think if you take a breather, you can clear your thoughts. That's when you'll come up with a great song," Brittany steps into Santana's side, putting her arm around her waist. "Come on, let's go outside and get some air. We can go get a pumpkin and stuff to decorate for Halloween," she pleads.

"I suppose I could take a little break," Santana succumbs to Brittany's puppy dog pout. "But a short one, Britt. I really need to get something done today."

"I promise," Brittany grins and pulls Santana towards her for a kiss. "You might want to put on a sweatshirt. It's a little nippy this morning."

"I could say the same about you in that tank top right now," Santana points to Brittany's chest.

"Well, look who's in a good mood all of a sudden," Brittany squeezes Santana's hips.

"Sorry I was being all grumpy."

"I get it. You're just stressed, honey."

"Yea," Santana nods. "It's just…nothing seems good enough."

"You are always good enough. Don't ever doubt it," Brittany kisses Santana's forehead. "Now just forget about it for a little while, okay?"

"Okay, I'll go change."

They step out onto their street, arm in arm, heading down towards the boulevard. A couple neighbors are out in their pajamas, having been awoken by their dogs for a bathroom break. A tree trimmer is paring down some of the palm trees along the street.

"I kind of miss seeing the leaves change colors," Santana muses.

"Me too," Brittany replies. "My family used to take trips up to Vermont every October."

"So jealous. I love your family."

"Yea?" Brittany pulls Santana tighter by her arm and leans towards her ear. "Have you forgotten they are also your _future_ family?"

Santana pauses and looks her girlfriend in the eye. "Haven't forgotten that for a second," she leans up on her toes to kiss Brittany's cheek.

Brittany smiles and they continue walking down the street. "At least the temperature has dropped a teeny bit. Sort of feels like the season's changing."

"What should we do for Halloween?"

"I was thinking we should have a party at our place."

"That'd be fun!"

"What should we dress up as?" Santana asks.

"Bacon and eggs!"

"What?"

"I don't know. That was the first thing that popped into my head," Brittany replies.

"You've got breakfast on the brain. Let's get something to eat, Britt," Santana points to the restaurant up ahead.

"Yea, maybe then I can come up with a better idea. Eggs doesn't sound like a sexy costume."

Santana holds up two fingers to the hostess and they are seated on the outdoor patio.

"Ooh! Pumpkin lattes!"

"We should start planning this party, Britt. What about this Friday?"

"Let me see what Rachel is doing." Brittany pulls out her phone and calls her friend. "Hey, Rach! How's it going?"

'Hey, Britt,' Rachel answers.

Santana looks through the menu, pondering between eggs or pancakes.

"Santana says hi," Brittany adds.

Santana looks up from her menu in bewilderment. She rolls her eyes playfully at Brittany, who grins back at her.

"What are you and Sarah doing this Friday?"

'We're going to a show at the Rainbow Room, why?'

"Shoot, we were going to have a party," she frowns. "And the weekend after will be too late."

'How about tonight? We're both free. Sure it's last minute, but it'll be fun!'

Brittany holds the phone away from her mouth and whispers to Santana. "Tonight instead?"

"What? Britt, no. I have to get some writing done."

"I'll go out and get everything we need, and you'll have the place to yourself until late tonight."

"Until what time?" Santana asks.

"We'll tell people to come around ten. You'll have all day, and I won't bother you."

"Britt, you know that you never bother me," Santana reaches across the table to hold her hand. "But you know this means you have to decide on costumes for us ASAP."

"So that's a yes then?" Brittany replies excitedly.

"Sure, Britt," she smiles. "Let's do it."

"Hey, Rach? We'll have it tonight. Can you call everyone we know?"

'That's approximately five people, Brittany.'

"We need more friends."

Santana nods her head in agreement while taking a sip of water. "Tell Sarah to invite her friends too, screw it. Open house."

"Could you pick up a few things for us? We'll pay you later. Just get a bunch of bottles of everything and some cases of beer."

"And cups," Santana adds.

"And Santana says get cups."

'Sure thing, Britt. Text me later.'

"Okay. Bye, Rach," Brittany hangs up her phone.

"Our place is going to be a wreck tomorrow morning isn't it?"

"Probably. We could always call a cleaning service."

"You're a genius. Now where's the damn waiter. I need that pumpkin latte."

After stuffing themselves with fried eggs and strawberry pancakes, the two continue down the boulevard towards the pumpkin patch. Santana keeps sipping on her to-go latte, while Brittany rattles off costume ideas to her.

"Sexy pirates?"

"Eh, too much fabric."

"Beach volleyball players? That's much less clothing."

"I want something more couple-y."

"Aww, you're adorable," Brittany kisses the top of Santana's head. "How about Rizzoli & Isles?"

"Is anyone even going to know what we're dressed as? But yes, I love that idea."

"Who cares? If they don't recognize our costumes, we'll just say that you're a cop and I'm a doctor. Simple."

"Perfect," Santana grins. "Plus I've been wanting an excuse to get some handcuffs."

"Really?"

"Hell yes," Santana replies.

"I think we can find a pair at that certain store….not far from Mr. Bones."

"Okay, time to hurry then," Santana starts walking briskly with her arm around Brittany's.

They pull up around the corner to find the small pumpkin patch inside a gated plot of land. A large inflatable skeleton towers above bales of hay, hundreds of bright orange pumpkins, and families milling around search of the perfect pumpkin for carving.

"Wow, this place is packed right now," Brittany remarks.

"Dozens and dozens of B list celebs attempting to get photographed."

"Ooh, look at this one!" Brittany picks up a large pumpkin.

"Remember that we have to carry these things home, stud."

"Right," Brittany drops the pumpkin to the ground with a thud. "A couple small ones then."

"Let's get some cornstalks too."

The two continue searching through pumpkins as a young girl dressed in a lion costume runs through the corner of the patch.

"Raaaaaaaarrrr," she growls at Brittany and Santana while she bounces between the pumpkins.

"Oh no!" Brittany feigns fright towards the girl. "What a scary lion!"

The girl grins, her face painted with whiskers, and then remembers to act scary. "Raaarrr!"

Santana watches as Brittany plays along with the three year old.

"Don't hurt me, lion! I don't want to be lion food!" Brittany crouches to the ground, and the girl starts giggling.

Santana smiles from ear to ear at the scene in front of her. An older woman comes running up towards them.

"Kayla!"

"Raaaaar!"

"Don't bother these nice ladies. Come on, stay close with mommy."

"It's no bother, really. She's adorable," Brittany replies.

"She's quite the handful, this one," the mother holds onto Kayla's hand. "Tell the nice lady goodbye."

"Bye!" she squeaks out.

"Bye-bye, Kayla. Happy Halloween!" Brittany waves as they walk away. Kayla turns her head around, grinning back at Brittany. Once out of view in the crowd of people, Brittany swivels back towards Santana who stares back at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," Santana smiles. "You were just really cute with her."

"Kids are fun," Brittany shrugs.

"Yea," Santana nods along. "I like them too."

"Cool," Brittany replies with a shy smirk.

"Come on," Santana loops her arm through Brittany's. "Let's get these pumpkins already."

The walk out of the gate, arms filled with cornstalks and pumpkins.

"I should have picked lighter ones," Brittany remarks.

"Give me the bigger one."

Brittany hands it over, and Santana struggles to juggle everything she is carrying.

"I got this," Santana exclaims. "To the special store!"

"What?"

"You know, to complete my cop outfit?"

"Oh yea!"

They cross the street and walk a few block east until they find themselves in front of the store.

"I'll get them. You stay here," Brittany puts her pumpkin down on the sidewalk.

"Not the fuzzy ones, Britt!" Santana yells as her girlfriend breezes through the door. "She's going to get the fuzzy ones."

Moments later, Brittany pops back outside holding a bag. "Let me see," Santana eyes the contents.

"Later," she picks up her pumpkin. "From now until ten, you are to focus on your music."

"Fine," Santana grumbles.

"Aw, San," Brittany puts her arm around Santana's shoulders and kisses her cheek. "So, did you think of any new ideas this morning?"

"Hmm, yea I thought of one new idea."

"Will you tell me?"

"_Later_," Santana replies.

Brittany spends the rest of the day out doing errands. She goes to the Goodwill to find pieces for their costumes, to Ralph's for some party food, and to the party store for some extra decorations. Santana holes herself up in the bedroom with her laptop, and by the time Brittany returns later that night, her next song is finished.

"San?" Brittany yells as she walks through the door to an empty apartment.

"In here!" she yells from the bedroom.

"Can you help me with the rest of the bags?" Brittany drops the four she is holding in her hands.

Santana comes rushing into the kitchen. "Sure thing. Kisses first," she grabs onto Brittany's hips, pulling in for a kiss. "How much did you buy?"

"I don't know. I just figured we should get more just in case a ton of people show up."

"I'm sure it will be more than enough. How many people could possibly come?"

By eleven, their place is filled to the brim with a bunch of twenty-somethings they have never met before.

"Good call on the extra food, hon," Santana says, drinking a cup of orange punch that Rachel made, wearing a white collared shirt and tight black pants. A gun holster and hand cuffs hang off her belt. Brittany wears a pink floral dress underneath a white lab coat. They decorated the room with black lights, fake cobwebs, and Brittany even sprung for a fog machine.

"I think Sarah is more popular than we thought," Brittany yells over the music.

"I know I should be a better host right now, but I just want to dance with you," Santana whispers in her ear.

Brittany puts down her drink and holds out her hand. Santana happily takes her hand and leads them into the corner. She pins Brittany against the wall and starts moving her hips into her girlfriend's. Brittany pulls on Santana's belt with one hand and on her neck with the other. Santana turns her head to the side to give Brittany room to start kissing down her jawline.

"Woooo!" A guy in a banana suit from across the room starts cheering.

"Hey!" Sarah slaps him on the shoulder. "Not cool."

"My bad," he apologizes and walks away to get another beer.

Sarah mouths "Sorry" to Santana and Brittany, who nod in return.

"Maybe we should just save it for later, when we can put these to use," Brittany loops her finger around the handcuffs hanging from Santana's belt.

"How soon can we kick everyone out of our apartment?"

Brittany laughs and pulls Santana in for a hug, and they start slowly dancing with each other. "Are you going to tell me what your new song is about now?"

"Hmmmm," Santana murmurs in her ear. "You really want to know?"

"Yea," Brittany replies, moving her hands across Santana's back.

"Simply…it's about when you know you found the person you want to start a family with."

Brittany's eyes widen, and she stops dancing. "You thought of that…today?"

"Mm-hmm," Santana nods. "At the pumpkin patch. Seeing you with that little girl….It's not that I wasn't sure of it already, but it was like I could see it more clearly."

"I really want that too," Brittany replies. She moves her hands up to Santana's nape.

"I think you would make a great mom."

"I think you would be even better," Brittany responds and starts brushing her hands through Santana's soft curls. "You're caring and careful. You make me feel so loved that any child of yours would be the luckiest in the world."

"Of ours," Santana corrects her. "But…first things first."

"What's that?"

"It's coming," Santana smirks and leads Brittany back into the crowd of people to keep on dancing. The party lasts until three, when the Rachel and Sarah are the last ones standing. As they predicted, the room is a complete mess, but the night was a success.

"You guysss throw great parties," Rachel slurs from the couch in her Funny Girl costume. "You shou do it more off-en."

"You two are taking a cab back right?" Santana asks, laughing.

"I'm sober," Sarah replies. "I can drive us back."

"Wait! Why-m I more drunker than youuu?" Rachel points in Sarah's face.

"Okay, Barbara. Time for bed," Sarah helps her up from the couch. "Let's get you back."

Santana turns to Brittany, "I'll be right back," and sees their friends down to Sarah's car.

When Santana gets back to their apartment, Brittany isn't where she was sitting before.

"Britt?"

"In here!"

Santana follows the sound of her voice into the bedroom to find her girlfriend on the bed, stripped down to her bra and underwear.

"Oh," Santana's mouth drops.

"Time for some fun, Detective."

Santana kicks off her shoes and hops onto the bed. She straddles Brittany and takes the handcuffs from her belt. "You're not going to resist arrest, are you?"

"No, Ma'am."

Santana gently moves Brittany's hands over her head to railings on the headboard.

"You have the key, right?" Brittany breaks character. "Because so help me god, if you lose it," she laughs. "I don't want to have an axe situation in here tonight. I mean, sure yea, Kate did it in _Titanic_, but let's be real, she totally would have chopped off Jack's arm in real life."

"Shhh, Britt. It's right here," she laughs and takes it out from her pocket and places it on the bedside table. "Now," she opens one cuff and places it around Brittany's wrist. She hooks it around the railing and closes the other cuff around Brittany's other wrist.

"That's not too uncomfortable is it?" Santana asks while she unzips her pants.

Brittany shakes her head. "Do you think we could use it tonight?"

Santana thinks for a moment until the light bulb goes off in her head. "Ohhh. I think that could be arranged." She crawls off the bed, loses her pants, and walks into their closet. When she returns less than a minute later, she is wearing their purple strap-on. Brittany bites her lip in anticipation. Santana starts unbuttoning her shirt and looks at Brittany. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiles. "Now please get back on this bed."

Santana throws the shirt in the corner and climbs back onto the bed. She peels off Brittany's panties and lies between her legs, kissing her softly. Their kissing starts gaining intensity, while Santana rubs her palm over Brittany's breast. Brittany yanks on the cuffs, trying to feel her girlfriend. Santana leans back on her knees and holds the strap-on in her hand. She starts rubbing it over Brittany's clit, spreading her wetness all over the purple dildo. Brittany groans and lifts her hips in order to feel more pressure.

"Please," she begs.

Santana lays back on top of Brittany and with one hand guides the dildo into her girlfriend.

"Ohhh, San," she breathes out.

Santana stills inside of her as their hips align. Brittany nods for her to start moving, and Santana eagerly obliges. She feels the underside of the strap-on against her clit, and it makes her start pumping her hips faster. Brittany wraps her legs around Santana's hips, allowing the dildo to sink deeper inside. Santana sucks on her neck, leaving a deep red mark under her jaw. Brittany's moans get louder and louder, and Santana brings one hand down to rub on her clit, knowing it won't be much longer.

"Faster," Brittany pleads. "Fuck!"

Santana can feel her own orgasm approaching. She speeds up her movements and Brittany moves her hips to match the rhythm. "I'm close," Santana whimpers in her ear.

"Mmmm, me too," she gasps.

With one final thrust, Santana cries out into her neck. "Ughhh, Brittany," she keeps pumping in and out, bringing Brittany over the edge with her.

"Oh godddd," she squeezes her legs tight around Santana, riding out her orgasm.

Santana lies still atop her girlfriend as they feel the aftershocks. She kisses up Brittany's neck to her mouth, and they make out lazily for a few moments. Santana pulls out and takes off the harness. "Well, Doctor, that was amazing," she lies back down next to Brittany, kissing her shoulder and collarbone.

"So good, Detective," she replies dreamily.

"You win for best costume idea."

"I think we can come up with something even better next year. But, honey, aren't you forgetting something?" she smiles.

"What?" Santana lifts her head.

"Un-cuff me, please."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hello lovely readers! Finally back again. Thank you so much for sticking with me and my story. I appreciate the reviews/follow/favorite, they keep me going when the writer's block hits! Let me know what you think of this chapter! There may be just a few left, and possibly a sequel if there is enough interest. So let me know!**

It's a slightly chilly November night as Santana leaves the recording studio. In the past three weeks, her and her songwriting team had finished seven songs for her album. While she expected more of a struggle in completing the recordings, it had been an amazing experience for Santana. Her new manager had been a pleasant surprise and extremely helpful in the day-to-day tasks. Santana was happy with her songs, and even happier with how they were produced. She was on track to finish the album in time for the February release.

Santana hops into her car and drives home, excited to see her girlfriend later that night. Along the way, she stops at the grocery store to pick up some items for dinner. As she walks through the produce aisle, Santana runs into Rachel and Sarah.

"Santana!" they both exclaim from in front of the avocados.

"Hey, short-stuff…Sarah," she nods to each girl.

"You're only like two inches taller than me," Rachel points out. "I'm just saying."

"Anyways, what are you and Brittany planning to do for Thanksgiving?" Sarah asks.

"Well, I think we're both staying in LA. You two should come over if you're around! We can cook a big classic Thanksgiving meal. It'll be fun!"

"I would love to, but I'm going to my cousin's place in Santa Barbara," Sarah replies.

"And my dads bought me a plane ticket home. Sorry, Santana," Rachel says. "It sounds like it would have been fun!"

"No problem, I'm sure Britt and I can find some way to celebrate."

"You two seem to have no trouble with that," Sarah smirks.

"Well, I'm going to go find something to cook up tonight before Brittany gets home from work. See you around," Santana waves goodbye and heads for the eggplants.

She pulls her car into their parking space in the underground garage and lugs the two paper bags up to their apartment. She jiggles the keys in the lock and opens the door to find all the lights on.

"What the hell? I know I didn't leave these on all day," Santana walks into the kitchen.

"Hi, San."

"Jesus!" Santana drops the bags and jerks her head around to find Brittany emerging from the hallway. "Holy hell, Brittany. You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry," she walks towards her girlfriend and in the bright kitchen light Santana can see that her eyes are a little red.

"Why are you home, Britt? What's wrong?"

"I…well…please don't get mad," she squeaks out in her tiny voice.

"Britt, I would never," she holds her arms out to hold Brittany by her elbows.

"I just couldn't do it anymore."

"Do what?" Santana strokes down Brittany's arms to grab her hands.

"I quit my job today."

"Oh, Brittany," she pulls her into a hug.

"I'm really sorry," she sniffles into Santana's shoulder.

"No, no. You don't have to apologize, sweetie. I want you to be happy, and I know you weren't happy there."

Brittany just nods her head into Santana's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Santana whispers.

"Yea," Brittany pulls out of the hug. "I just feel bad because now I can't contribute anything until I find another job. And who knows when that will be, and I shouldn't have quit until I had gotten another job. What was I thinking?!"

"Shhh, Brittany. You don't need to worry. I never want you to worry, okay? You're a great dancer and a great choreographer, and soon enough someone will see what I see. They'll see that you're meant to be working on a big television set or in arenas across the country. I just know it."

"You really think that?" Brittany grabs at one of Santana's belt loops, fiddling with it.

"I haven't been wrong about you so far," she smiles. "Come here," she pulls on Brittany's arm. "Dance with me."

Santana puts her hand around Brittany's waist and grabs her other hand. She rests her head on her shoulder and starts swaying them back and forth. She hums in Brittany's ear as they hold each other close.

"_Only you beneath the moon and under the sun_."

Brittany smiles at Santana's voice and buries her face in her hair.

"_Whether near to me or far; it's no matter, darling, where you are. I think of you day and night, night and day_."

"Santana, I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" she keeps them swaying amongst the silence of their apartment.

"You can take me from miserable to blissful in about five seconds."

"Oh, I can make you more than blissful in even less than five seconds," she murmurs in her ear.

"Mmm-hmmm," she hums back into Santana's ear.

"So are you feeling better about it now?"

"Yea, I just feel like I should have been grateful to have that job, to have _any_ job, and I quit."

"I know you will be glad that you did, Britt. And don't worry about not being able to pay for half of the rent or food or anything, okay?"

"Okay," she nods.

"It doesn't matter to me how all this is paid for. As long as we're here together and we're both happy, right?" Santana curls a lock of Brittany's hair behind her ear. "Now, this Thursday is Thanksgiving, and here's what we're going to do. We're going to cook a huge feast just for ourselves and stay home all day. Just you, me, eating and drinking, and other things….all day long."

"That sounds perfect, San," Brittany squeezes her girlfriend a little tighter.

On Thanksgiving morning, Brittany awakens to Santana's hair in her face. Her girlfriend is lying diagonally across the bed, with her head on Brittany's chest. It's nine thirty, and when Brittany sees the time on her cell phone, she bolts upright causing Santana to nearly fall off the bed while still half-asleep.

"Coconuts!"

Brittany grabs onto Santana's arm to keep her on the bed. "Wait, what?" she reacts to Santana's outburst.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Santana rubs at her eyes.

"You just yelled out 'coconuts' and we're missing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

"Did I really?"

"Yea," Brittany climbs out of bed and throws a sweatshirt on.

"The last thing I remember was your boobs."

"You were dreaming about my boobs? That's so sweet," Brittany leans over the bed to kiss Santana on the lips. "And you referred to them as coconuts?"

"Apparently," Santana laughs.

"I do have some nice coconuts," Brittany stands proudly. "Now come on and watch the parade with me."

Santana drags herself out from under the comforter and pads across the room to find some clothes to wear. When she reaches the kitchen she finds Brittany on the couch watching intently at the floats slowly moving across the screen.

"Do you want coffee, Britt?"

"Yes, thanks, honey."

"Eggs or waffles?"

"Cereal," Brittany responds. "If we're going to be eating a whole Thanksgiving dinner between the two of us, best start out light."

"Good point," Santana puts away the mixing bowl in her hand and starts pouring bowls of Cheerios. She watches Brittany staring at the screen. "Do you still miss it?"

"Miss what?" she swivels her head towards the kitchen.

"New York."

"We were just there like two months ago," Brittany shrugs.

"I know, but you lived there awhile. New York gets into your blood and changes you."

"Maybe I used to miss it, but this is my home now. "

Santana walks over to the living room with their cereal in hand. "Mine too," Santana leans down to kiss Brittany's forehead. "Now what crazy floats and lip-syncing teen idols do they have this year?"

"Ooh, the M&M float!" Brittany shouts. "I love the red one."

"Ugh, so lame. This parade is all corporate now."

"Hey!" Brittany lightly slaps her shoulder. "Don't knock the parade, it's a fine tradition. And M&M's are awesome!"

"I'm just saying it's all a ploy to get you to buy stuff," Santana says through a spoonful of cereal.

"And what if next year, they asked you to perform on one of the floats?" Brittany gives her the side-eye.

Santana stares are her for a beat. "I would totally do it, no question."

"Hah! I knew it," Brittany cheers to herself.

"I'm only human."

As the parade comes to an end and Santa Claus appears on his red sleigh, Santana and Brittany are horizontal on the couch, limbs entangled. Brittany lies atop Santana with her head tucked in under Santana's ear. She starts rubbing her hand across her girlfriend's thigh which is wrapped around her hip. Brittany lifts her head to find Santana engrossed in the television. Santana senses Brittany staring at her.

"What is it?" she asks.

Brittany looks back and forth between Santana's eyes and lips before she jolts her head forward, taking her cheek in the palm of her hand and connecting their lips. Santana gasps into Brittany's mouth at the sudden move. Brittany sits back to take off her sweatshirt, while Santana watches in wonder.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion?" Santana asks while gliding her hands over Brittany's thighs.

"I'm showing you how thankful I am," she responds and hooks her fingers around Santana's shorts, pulling them down. "I am thankful for your legs," she lifts one up and kisses down to the knee. "I am thankful for your arms and your hands," Brittany laces their fingers together and brings them to her mouth for a kiss. "I am thankful for your breasts," she smirks and pushes up on Santana's tank top, revealing she had skipped on a bra this morning. Brittany places soft kisses to one breast and across to the other. She lies her body back down on top of her girlfriend, bringing their faces together. She brings her right hand between their bodies and places it over Santana's chest. "Most of all I am thankful for your heart. Without it…my own would stop beating."

Santana covers Brittany's hand with her own, and puts her right hand around her girlfriend's neck. She rubs her thumb across Brittany's nape while a smile grows on her face. "I love you so much, Brittany."

"I love you too," she replies before joining their lips together again. She shifts her hips to place one leg in between Santana's, causing the girl to moan into her throat.

Santana drags both of her hands down Brittany's back to grab her ass, pushing her upper thigh right where she needs it. Brittany moves her mouth down to Santana's neck, attempting to leave a mark just under her ear.

"Mmm, Brittany," Santana purrs and starts moving her own hips upwards to give Brittany the same pleasure she feels.

Brittany grinds down, moving her hips faster and faster, while nipping at Santana's collarbone. Santana places a hand on the back of Brittany's head and winces in delight at the playfulness. She then moves her hand down between them to palm at Brittany's breast, while the girl puts both of her hands on the arm of the couch behind Santana. She braces herself and thrusts her hips harder into Santana.

"Faster," Santana pleads and kisses across Brittany's chest. "Right _there_."

Brittany buries her face in Santana's hair as she starts to reach her climax. "Oh god, yes," she moans into Santana's ear.

"Don't stop. Ahh, yess," Santana feels her own orgasm approaching and squeezes Brittany's breast harder.

"Does that feel good?" Brittany pants as she fits her leg perfectly between Santana's.

"God yes, Britt. Keep going!" Santana moves her hands back down to Brittany's ass, squeezing it firmly. "I'm so closeee."

Brittany speeds up her movements with the help of Santana's pushing. The couch starts creaking and shifting across the floor as they both approach climax.

"Fuckkk, Sannn!" Brittany groans as the pleasure courses through her body. She connects their lips and swallows Santana's gasps as she tumbles over the edge.

"Ughhh, yesss," her hips still against Brittany's and the aftershocks pulsate.

"Wow," Brittany laughs.

"That may have been the quickest I have ever come."

"Good," Brittany smirks. "Because I think we need to put the turkey in."

After Santana spends ten minutes trying to calculate what temperature they need to set the oven at for a twelve pound turkey, the two girls refresh themselves with a quick shower. Thirty minutes and two more rounds of showing each other how thankful they are for each other, they decide to break out the wine.

"It's not too early, right?" Brittany asks from the kitchen.

"Of course not. It's a holiday. No rules," Santana states. "Let's start with the red."

Brittany pours them two glasses, which turns into ten glasses after two hours. During those two hours, Santana tried to feign interest in the football game that was airing to please Brittany who had wanted it on to remind her of Thanksgivings' past with her family. Brittany repaid her with a back massage which turned into a front massage with a happy ending.

"Honey, honey, honey," Santana later calls out from her spot lying on the floor in front of the television. "I think we need to cook the other foods!"

"What other food?" Brittany replies as she empties the third wine bottle into her goblet.

"You know, I got all the potatoes….and the beans….and the corn…and corn corn corn corn….Corn is a weird word. Say it…._corn._ It rhymes with porn!" Santana cackles at her own amusement.

"And the cranberry sauce!"

"Yes!" Santana sits up. "I gots the best kind!"

"Wait, did you just get the canned stuff?" Brittany asks and sips her wine.

"Of course! Why, do you only like it homemade with all the like, big chunks of cranberries that's all sour and..and..._sour_?"

"I love you. We're a perfect match. I only ever eat the canned stufffff!" Brittany cheers and sloppily runs over to tackle Santana on the floor.

"Ooof!" Santana blurts out as her girlfriend pins her against the floor. "Britt, I love you, but remember that you are taller than me."

"Aw, San, I'm sorry. Let me kiss it better," Brittany purses her lips together and attacks Santana's face with kisses.

Santana can't keep from laughing and pulling her girlfriend down on top of her. "I love you. And I love food, so let's go cook everything else."

"What's that smell?" Brittany asks.

Santana sits up off the floor and inhales deeply through her nose. Before she realizes what the smell is, a shrieking sound blares through the apartment. "Shit!"

They both jump up and run towards the kitchen. Santana grabs the potholders, stuffing them on her hands as Brittany opens the oven. A bit of smoke billows out and Santana pulls out the tray, setting it on the stove. Brittany takes a dish towel and starts waving it under the smoke detector. The alarm stops and the girls look at slightly charred turkey that lies forlornly in its aluminum tray.

"Well, I think we calculated things wrong," Santana says with a laugh.

"I'm sure part of it is still edible," Brittany shrugs. "All of the side dishes are my favorite anyways," she puts an arm around Santana's shoulders and kisses her head.

"I'm sorry. I ruined our first Thanksgiving together."

"San, you didn't. Everything is perfect."

*Beep-Beep-Beep*

"What now?!" Santana shouts.

"Honey, it's your phone."

"Oh, right," she picks her phone up from the dining table. "It's a text from my manager. Why would she text me on Thanksgiving?"

"It's probably important, call her."

Santana walks out to the balcony and Brittany watches the conversation while slicing at the blackened turkey to find some good pieces. She sees Santana put her hand to her head and sit down on the chair. Brittany makes out an "oh my god" through lip reading, so she sets down her knife and walks towards the window. She waits as Santana hangs up the phone and takes a few deep breaths.

"Well," Santana says while sliding the balcony door open and stepping inside. "It's kind of ironic that you just quit your job."

"Why?" Brittany's face drops. "What happened, Santana?"

"It's just really convenient, that's all."

"I don't get it," she shakes her head.

"Do you want to go on tour with me?"


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I'm back! I know this was a crazy long wait, but I hope it's worth it! Thank you again to all the those that have stuck with this fic and who favorite/follow/review. I appreciate every single one and they put a huge smile on my face :)**

"Do you want to go on tour with me?"

"A tour?"

"Yea," Santana nods her head as a smile grows on her face.

"Like a tour, like-"

"It's just a small one, but Brittany, I really want you to come with me. I couldn't go without you."

Brittany launches herself into Santana, grabbing her around the waist. "I'm so proud of you, Santana. I thought something bad happened," she laughs.

"So…is that a ye-"

"Of course it's a yes!" Brittany brings her hands up to Santana's cheeks, pulling her face towards her for a kiss. "I can't wait, honey."

"Don't expect a huge fancy tour bus and arenas though, Britt. I'm not quite there yet," Santana laughs. "I think we'll be traveling in a van and playing small clubs of people who are just there to drink."

"San, you could be playing in elementary school gyms to six year olds and I would still be so crazy, over-the-moon proud of you."

"I'm glad to exceed those expectations then," Santana grins. "And we better start packing because we leave in two days."

"Really?"

"Yea, they want to get in a bunch of dates before Christmas to test things out, and if all goes well then they might book more after New Year's."

"You know it will, San," Brittany smiles.

"I really hope so, Britt."

"So if they're putting you out on tour, then does that mean they're releasing your single soon?"

A grin forms on Santana's face as she nods in delight. "Really soon."

"Oh my god, San! We need to go celebrate!"

"Shouldn't we start packing and stuff?"

"We have time for that tomorrow. Think, you're going to be so busy playing shows and riding in a van soon. Take the time now to enjoy all of your success."

"It's still Thanksgiving. What are we going to do? Nothing's really open and all our friends are gone" Santana asks. "Plus we almost drank all the alcohol."

"We still have that bottle of whiskey! Plus I had a different kind of celebration in mind," Brittany grins and pulls Santana by the hand towards the bedroom. "Oh wait!" she runs back to retrieve the whiskey. "Okay, all set!"

The next morning, the girls emerge from the bedroom sluggishly having spent most of the night _not _sleeping. Santana immediately puts a new filter in the coffee maker and dumps a heap of coffee grinds inside.

"How many cups are you making?" Brittany croaks out.

"All of it. All the coffee," Santana groans and sets her head down on the kitchen counter, doubling over.

"I think I need to add whiskey to the List of Things Brittany Will Never Drink Again Ever," Brittany plops onto the sofa, lying on her back with her arm over her eyes.

"I'm never eating stuffing again. I think I stumbled in here last night and ate the leftovers at some point."

"You did. I remember," Brittany sits up. "It was right after you came."

"Oh yea," Santana smiles.

"You said, 'I'm going to fix us a snack', then you went into the kitchen and didn't come back. I found you sitting on the floor eating the stuffing with a ladle. That's when we had the kitchen floor sex."

"Hell yea we did," Santana boasts. "That was awesome," she walks towards the couch and lifts Brittany's legs to sit, placing them on her lap. "So, are you sure you want to drive across country in a tiny van with me? And my manager?"

"She's going to be in the van with us?"

"Well yea, someone has to drive."

"So, no van sex then?"

"Afraid not, honey," Santana consoles her, rubbing across her legs. "But we are definitely getting our own hotel rooms."

"Yesss," Brittany raises her fists in the air.

"So I'm thinking we probably should try to pack light. That way we can have some extra leg room in the van. We can always do laundry on the road."

"Ooh, laundry room sex."

"Britt," Santana taps her girlfriend's knee. "I see where your mind's at this morning," she quirks an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I know we need to start getting ready. I will go pick out some clothes to pack," Brittany hoists herself up off the couch.

Santana takes a moment to watch Brittany walk away into the bedroom with a smile on her face. She closes her eyes and rests her head back against the cushion.

*Ring-Ring-Ring*

Santana picks up her phone from off the table to see it is her manager, Liz, calling.

"Hi Liz," she answers.

"Hey there, so I'm going to be sending you an email with the dates we've got. We're going to start in San Francisco and work our way to New York over 25 days. I've got the van rented and I'll be picking you tomorrow morning at nine am."

"Wow, so this is really happening, huh?"

"Train's leaving the station, Lopez. Are you ready for this kind of life?"

"It's always been the dream, right?" Santana watches Brittany cross the hallway into the bathroom. Along the way, Brittany sees that her girlfriend is on the phone. She stops to smile at Santana and blows her a kiss, continuing on into the bathroom. "Oh, and Liz, Brittany will be coming along. I won't go without her."

"There should be enough room in the van since you won't be using much equipment."

"Good. "

"Oh, speaking of- she might be perfect for this."

"For what?" Santana asks.

"The label wants us to document the tour, you know to get some footage to put up on YouTube and all the social media pages, and since I will probably be busy dealing with the club owners, maybe Brittany could be your videographer?"

"I think she might be up for that."

"Great, I can check that off the list. Okay, I gotta run. Remember, nine am tomorrow."

"Got it, Liz. See you then," Santana hangs up the phone and stands to walk towards the bedroom. "Hey, Britt?"

"Yea?" she replies from the bathroom.

"Are you any good with a video camera?"

"Of course, what am I 87 years old?"

"Point taken," Santana laughs, standing in the doorway. "Liz wants you to document the tour, filming just about everything. What do you say?"

"You mean I'll have an excuse to stare at you all day long?" Brittany smirks. "I'm game," she stands from where she is kneeling by the sink cupboard and kisses Santana.

"Thank you," Santana smiles.

"Of course, San. I would do anything for you," Brittany rests her arms around Santana's shoulders, linking her hands behind her neck. "You know that, right?"

"I do," Santana nods and pulls on Brittany's hips, bringing their bodies flush against each other. She takes a moment, staring into her girlfriend's eyes while feeling Brittany's fingers scratch at the nape of her neck.

"You're staring," Brittany laughs shyly.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Just…remembering some things that I need to pack and buy before tomorrow morning. So," Santana kisses Brittany's cheek, "I'm going to go on a couple errands. Why don't you stay here and pack, and I'll pick up some dinner too."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No, stay. I won't be too long," Santana replies, walking back to the bedroom. She throws on a hoodie and grabs her wallet and keys. "I love you!" she yells before leaving their apartment.

Brittany spends the next two hours packing hers and Santana's clothes into three suitcases, gathering all their chargers, toiletries, activities to keep them occupied on the long van rides, until she checks the time, wondering where her girlfriend is. As she reaches for her phone, she hears the door unlock, and pads into the kitchen to meet her.

"There you are," Brittany smiles, "I was starting to get worried."

Santana struggles through the door carrying multiple bags from various stores. "Sorry, Britt. I should've called. I just couldn't find something at the store." She drops a bag from Fresh & Easy on the counter. "Could you heat these up? I'll be right back," Santana carries the rest of the load into the bedroom.

"How much did you buy?" Brittany laughs.

"Just some accessories, you know. And other stuff."

"What other stuff?" Brittany shouts from the kitchen.

"Just like…underwear…uh, boring stuff."

"Honey, there's nothing boring about your underwear! It's like number three on my list of exciting objects."

"What's numbers one and two?" Santana asks while putting away her new purchases.

"Your left and right boobs, duh," Brittany responds while walking towards the bedroom.

Santana laughs, zipping up her suitcase and sliding it under the bed. "Wait, which is number one? My left or right?" she asks, puffing out her chest.

"Obviously it's your right. It's got that little freckle I love so much," she pulls on Santana's shirt collar, peeking inside.

"I should have known," Santana grins. "Let's go eat," she tugs on Brittany's wrist, pulling her into the kitchen.

They wake up the next morning with a couple hours to spare before Liz will be showing up with the van. Santana cooks up some eggs and fruit smoothies for breakfast and takes it out onto the balcony where Brittany sits.

"Our last meal," Santana jokes placing the tray down onto the table. "From here on out, it's fast food and bar appetizers."

"Could be worse I suppose," Brittany shrugs before taking a sip of her strawberry banana smoothie. "We'll just have to get lots of _cardio _in."

"You always get my heart racing," Santana leans over to kiss Brittany's shoulder. "So you're all packed right?"

"Yea, I just need to get changed and I'll be set to go."

"I still can't believe it," Santana says, poking around her plate with her fork.

"Believe what?"

"Just everything."

"Believe it, honey. You deserve every bit and more," Brittany rubs her hand over Santana's resting on her knee.

"I couldn't do any of it without you, Brittany," Santana replies.

"You could, Santana. Maybe it wouldn't be as fun without me," she laughs. "But I know you could."

"Even if I could… I wouldn't want to."

Brittany reaches her arm around Santana's shoulders, pulling her in for a kiss. Santana drops her fork and lets Brittany pull her onto her lap.

"The neighbors across the street can see us," Santana murmurs to the side of Brittany's mouth.

"I don't care. I want to kiss my girlfriend on our last morning here in LA while watching the sunrise."

Santana smiles and goes back to kissing Brittany's lips and down her neck, while Brittany runs her hand over Santana's thigh. They spend the next twenty minutes doing just the same before breaking apart to get ready to leave.

As Brittany gathers their suitcases and bags near the door, Santana gets the call from Liz that she is waiting outside.

"She's here. Got everything?" Santana asks.

"I sure hope so," Brittany replies looking around at the numerous pieces of luggage.

Santana takes her guitar case and a few bags, while Brittany carries the rest. When they reach the lobby, Liz is waiting with the doors open.

"Is that _the _Santana Lopez?" she jokes.

"Hi, Liz," Santana greets her manager.

"Is this everything?" Liz asks.

"Yea. Britt, could you take these to the van? I just have to talk to Liz for a second. Business stuff."

"It's open, Brittany. Just throw everything in the back."

"Thanks, honey," Santana says and turns to Liz. "I just need to ask a small favor of you."

Meanwhile, Brittany opens the rear doors to the van and starts loading their suitcases on top of the amp in the back. She spots a box of merchandise that Liz had packed. She opens it up to see Santana's name on some stickers, buttons, and other miscellaneous items. Brittany feels a flutter of excitement at seeing her girlfriend's name on something as mundane as a bumper sticker. She stops to look at all the items, some with Santana's face on them. She runs her hands over the merchandise before shutting the box and putting a bag on top of it. Brittany sets the last bag into the van and turns to close the door.

Kneeling in front of her is Santana. She is smiling as she reaches her hand into the pocket of her leather jacket.

"Britt," Santana's voice wavers.

"Oh my god," Brittany whispers.

Santana pulls out a small black box and holds it in her shaking hand. "I told you that I couldn't do any of this without you. I didn't mean just this tour, or my music, but everything. You have become so important to me, and so fast, that I can no longer imagine a life without you."

Brittany's eyes fill with tears as she listens to Santana, and her legs start to lose their feeling.

"The first time I saw you was on the curb in New York. You were loading the car, getting ready to drive us here. I had a feeling then that you were a very special person. I just didn't know how special you would soon become to me. I want to be by your side, always, Brittany." Santana opens the box, revealing a sparkling silver band with a blue diamond. "Will you marry me?"

Brittany's chin wavers and she takes a deep breath, nodding frantically. "Yes!" she cries out, throwing herself into Santana's arms. Santana lifts her up to stand, and squeezes her arms around Brittany.

"I love you so much," Santana whispers in her ear.

"I love you too," Brittany stutters through her sobs.

"You're the best thing in my life, Brittany," Santana lifts her head from Brittany's shoulder to kiss her, moving her hands up to her cheeks. She cradles Brittany's face in her hand, rubbing her thumb over her jaw. They break apart and Santana takes the box from her other hand and pulls out the ring.

"Santana, it's so beautiful," Brittany remarks and allows Santana to slide it down her ring finger.

"Do you really like it?" Santana holds Brittany's hand.

"I do, and even if it was a plastic ring from a box of cereal, I would love it and wear it forever."

"I can't wait to marry you, Brittany."

"Me too," Brittany replies as her eyes start to fill once again with tears. "You're everything to me."

Santana wipes away the tears falling from the corner of Brittany's eyes and kisses her cheek. "I love you."

Brittany kisses her lips and squeezes her arms around Santana. "I love you too."

"You ready to hit the road again, fiancée?"

"Yea," Brittany grins.

"You can come out now, Liz!" Santana shouts towards the lobby.

"What'd she say?!" Liz throws open the doors.

"I said yes," Brittany smiles with Santana looking on proudly.

"Aww, yay! All your future fans are going to be so heartbroken, Santana, just so you know."

"Yup, she's all mine," Brittany rubs up and down Santana's back, staring at her with a smile.

"Well, let me be the first to say congratulations to you both!" Liz exclaims. "I'm so happy for you! Now, let's get going because sound check is at three."

"And it begins," Santana kisses Brittany's lips and opens the side door for her. "You can still back out now if you want."

"Never. It's you and me," Brittany kisses her once more.

"Always."

**A/N: So this chapter marks the end of this "part", I will be continuing with this story though! Instead of creating a sequel, I'll just keep adding to this story. Updates might take longer, but I feel there is more story to be told here. So let me know what you think, and what things you want to see in the future! Thanks again for reading, and follow me on tumblr if you like! b-b-burntoshine**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I'm back, finally! Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter. They keep me going :) I hope you all enjoy - let me know what you think! and you can follow me on tumblr if you'd like at b-b-burntoshine :)**

Somewhere along 5-North on their way to San Francisco, Santana and Brittany sit in the back of the van as Liz keeps steady in the middle lane. Brittany is stretched out with her legs on Santana's lap, and she idly fiddles with the new object adorning her finger.

"It fits okay, right?" Santana asks.

"It's perfect," Brittany replies with a smile. "How did you get my size right?"

"Honey, I think I know your fingers pretty well," Santana grins. "Also, I snatched one of your rings to compare."

"Which one?"

"The turquoise one you only ever wear on your right ring finger when you wear that grey dress."

"Ah, yes," Brittany nods. "You know me so well."

"Every bit of you," Santana leans over to kiss her fiancée gently on the lips.

"Mmm, when do we get to check into the hotel?" Brittany murmurs into the side of Santana's mouth. "I really want to celebrate with you."

"After sound check," Santana answers and kisses her way down Brittany's jaw.

"What did I say?" Liz barks from the front of the van. "This is not a tour bus. You are not a member of Poison, and the year is not 1985. No funny business while I am driving!"

"Sorry, Liz!" Brittany apologizes while Santana laughs into her hands.

"So… just not while you're driving, huh?" Santana asks.

"You know what I mean, Lopez. I am over the moon happy for you both, but I would like to keep our artist-manager relationship professional. That means I would rather not hear anything coming from the back of this van….ever. Capiche?"

"You got it, Liz! No one will be coming in the back of this van," Santana responds trying to hold back laughter.

"Thank you!"

"So, when are you going to call your parents? Do you want to Skype with them later?"

"They don't even know what that is. I guess I will call them now," Brittany gets flush with excitement. "But I will definitely have to Skype with Rachel because she will demand it anyways."

Brittany reaches for her phone inside her bag and dials her parent's landline.

"Pierce residence," Brittany's mother answers.

"Hey Mom!"

"Britt-Britt, it's so nice to hear from you, sweetie!"

"How are you?" Brittany looks to Santana as her face starts to redden and her voice wavers with anticipation.

Santana cuddles in closer. "Hi, Mrs. Pierce."

Brittany pauses to switch to speakerphone. "That's Santana, Mom."

"Of course! Santana, dear, how are you doing?" her voice fills the van.

"Very well, thank you."

"Is Dad home?" Brittany starts to fidget with a lock of hair, and Santana reaches her hand up to interlock their fingers.

"He's in the den, just a second."

"Actually, both of you should be on the line for this," Brittany replies.

"Why? What's going on, Britt?"

"Nothing bad! Just a bit of news to share with you."

"Hey, sweetie!" Mr. Pierce chimes in. "What's new?"

"Ok, well…." Brittany clears her throat and squeezes Santana's hand. "Santana and I-"

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Pierce shrieks.

Brittany winces and holds the phone farther away. "You don't even know what I am going to say!"

"I think I do!"

"Let her just say it, Dear," Mr. Pierce muffles in the background.

"Sorry, go ahead."

"Ok…Santana and I are engaged," Brittany grins over at her fiancée.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Congratulations, Brittany," her father exclaims. "And to you, Santana."

"Thank you, sir. I promise I will treat her well."

"We know you will, Santana. You already do. She tells us all the time," he responds.

Santana leans in to kiss Brittany's cheek.

"This is so exciting, Britt. When can we start planning everything?" Mrs. Pierce asks.

"We? Mom you don't have to do anything. Santana and I haven't even discussed any details yet."

"Right. No pressure, no pressure. Just send a picture of the ring as soon as you can! Wait, is there a ring? Who proposed? I'm sorry. I don't really know how this works when it's two women."

"Mom," Brittany laughs. "Santana proposed to me. And she gave me a very, very beautiful ring."

"I can't wait to see it, dear."

"Nicely done, Santana," Mr. Pierce adds.

"She deserves it," Santana smiles to Brittany and squeezes her arm around Brittany's waist to hold her closer.

Liz motions from the front of the van towards the sign for a rest stop, silently asking if anyone needs a break. Santana nods, and Liz gets into the far lane to exit.

"I'll have to say goodbye now, guys. We're getting out to use the restroom."

"Where are you two? Are you driving while talking on a cell phone? Brittany, you know better-"

"Mom, I'm not!"

Santana giggles next to her at Brittany being scolded like a sixteen year old. "We never told them about the tour," Santana whispers.

"We are on our way to San Francisco, NOT driving, Mom. Santana is doing a little tour around the country for the next month, and I am joining her."

"Oh, fantastic! Santana, congratulations, dear! Oh my goodness, I can't wait to tell all the ladies at Zumba about this."

"Sounds like you two have a lot to celebrate!" Mr. Pierce adds.

Santana eyes Brittany with a shining grin. "We really do."

Liz parks the van next to a gas pump and gets out to refill. "I'll call again soon, guys. I promise."

"Ok, have fun you two! We love you both!" Mrs. Pierce shouts through the phone.

"Bye!" Brittany and Santana reply simultaneously.

"Do you need to go to the restroom?" Brittany asks.

"No," Santana laughs. "I just wanted a second alone with you."

"Aw," Brittany pulls Santana onto her lap and tilts her head up to kiss her. "I love you so much."

"Mmm," Santana pulls away. "I love you too."

"I can't wait until tonight and we can really be alone," Brittany whispers.

Santana smiles and buries her face in Brittany's neck, placing kisses across her collarbone. "I can't wait either."

"Hold on," Brittany turns to reach behind her for the digital video camera that Liz brought. "I want to record some of this."

"Some of what? Me on your lap?" Santana laughs.

"Of the beginning of this trip, the beginning of your amazing touring career, and the beginning of our engagement," she fiddles with the device until it turns on and is ready to record. Brittany zooms in on Santana's face, waiting for her to smile back. "Ms. Lopez, tell the world what you're thinking right now."

"Right this second? I'm the luckiest woman on earth."

"What else?" Brittany grins behind the camera.

"I hope that I don't screw it all up. I hope my music finds the people who want it and maybe need it. I hope that we meet some cool people along the way."

Brittany hits stop and sets the camera down. "Perfect."

Liz opens the driver door and hops back into the van. "You all set?" she asks through the rear-view mirror.

"Yea!" Santana slides off Brittany's lap.

"You better be fully clothed back there!"

An hour later they make it into the city limits of San Francisco. Liz hauls the van up and down the hills looking for the venue, while Brittany and Santana take in the sights.

"Keep your eyes peeled for any signs reading Café Du Nord."

"Are you getting excited?" Brittany asks, with her arm around Santana's shoulder.

Santana takes her eyes off the streets and turns to Brittany. "Yea, only a little nervous."

"That's natural."

"It's not like I haven't performed in front of people before, but it seems different being in a new city. What if they hate me?"

"Not possible," Brittany purses her lips, asking for a kiss.

Santana closes the distance, giving her girl a quick peck. "Thanks, honey."

"Found it!" Liz cries from the front of the van.

Santana and Brittany spot the club as Liz pulls the van to the side of the street, parking it in front of the main entrance. While Liz talks to the club owner, Brittany and Santana start carrying the gear inside to set up on the small stage.

"This is the last of it," Brittany says, placing the last case down next to Santana's guitar.

"Thanks, Britt."

"Okay, so I'll just let you do your thing," Brittany takes a seat across the room at a table while Santana talks with the sound mixer.

Brittany takes out her phone to a make a call. She places it to her ear and waits.

"Hi, Mom…Yea, we made it here safe...I'm going to need you to mail me something...I'll figure out where you can send it…I'll text it to you later…Love you too, bye."

After Santana spends the next twenty minutes getting her levels right, the three make a quick stop over at the hotel to check in. Liz handles everything while Santana and Brittany wait on the couches in the lobby.

"How much time do we have before we have to go back to the club?" Brittany asks, sitting next to Santana on the tiny loveseat.

"What time is it now?"

"Almost four. So we have about two hours to kill," Santana answers.

"Seriously?"

"Yea," Santana nods excitedly.

"Oh, thank god. I've been dying all day long."

Liz walks over towards them with room cards in hand. "Looks like we are on separate floors. I'll be in 321 and you are in 212," she hands over their card. "Let's meet back here at 6?"

"Perfect," Santana snatches the card with one hand and grabs Brittany's hand with the other. "See ya, Liz!"

The two speed over to the elevators and wait for the doors to open. Santana squeezes Brittany's hand and kisses her shoulder while waiting. "I love you."

"I love you more," Brittany replies and kisses Santana's temple.

The elevator doors open and they step in, eagerly pressing '2'. Once they reach their room, Brittany tosses her bag onto the floor next to the bed and starts peeling off her clothing.

Santana watches from the door as she closes it behind her. "You weren't kidding."

"Nope," Brittany says while unbuttoning her pants. "I need you."

Santana smiles and walks towards her fiancée. She takes her face in her hands and kisses her deeply. She backs Brittany up against the bed until the girl sits on the edge. Santana kneels to pull off Brittany's pants and underwear, and then stands to rid herself of her shirt and jeans. Brittany reaches her hands out to tug on Santana's black panties, pulling them down her legs.

"Come here," Brittany motions for Santana to sit on her lap.

Santana slowly kneels on either side of Brittany's hips and sits down on her thighs. Brittany runs her hands over the caramel skin, from her hips to her lower back. She looks up at Santana as she licks her lips and wraps her mouth around Santana's right breast, circling her tongue around the nipple.

Santana places her hand on Brittany's head, dragging her fingers through her blonde hair. "Mmm, Britt," she tilts her head back in pleasure.

Brittany grabs hold of Santana's back and turns them around. She pushes Santana farther up the bed and crawls up to her. Brittany tangles their legs together and leans on her forearms above Santana. She takes a moment to admire the girl below her, and it draws a smile from Santana's face. Brittany leans down to kiss her and feels Santana's hand drop to her lower back. Their hips start moving together at a steady rhythm while their kiss deepens. Santana moans into Brittany's mouth when her thigh pushes up into her center.

"Yesss," Santana begs.

"Right there?" Brittany asks, repeating the motion.

"Mmm, yea," Santana pulls on Brittany's neck so she can suck on it while her hips thrust upwards to meet Brittany's thigh. "Let me," Santana moves her left hand down between their bodies. Brittany lifts her pelvis up and allows Santana to rub over her clit. She starts grinding into Santana's hand as their breathing gets heavier.

"I love you so much," Brittany moans.

"I love you too," Santana replies and starts moving her fingers lower. She circles Brittany's entrance, and when Brittany nods she pushes two fingers inside, causing Brittany to clutch her arms around Santana's shoulders beneath her.

Their bodies move faster and faster against each other, and their groaning and panting fills the room. Brittany kisses over Santana's jaw and up to her mouth. They kiss passionately, their tongues massaging each other, and soon Brittany's body goes rigid as she climaxes. She moans into Santana's mouth and continues thrusting her hips while Santana's fingers curl inside of her. Brittany's thigh grinds harder into her clit, and soon Santana tumbles over the edge. Her right hand claws at Brittany's back as they ride out their orgasms.

"Oh fuck," Brittany sighs and drops her head to Santana's neck. She catches her breath and softly kisses across her collarbone.

"That was amazing," Santana wraps her arms around Brittany's back, moving her to rest completely on top of her. "I can't wait to do that for the rest of our lives."

"For as long as we both-"

"No!" Santana interrupts her.

"What?" Brittany lifts her head.

"I want the first time I hear you say those words to be when we're actually getting married."

"Aw, you are so adorable," Brittany peck's Santana's nose. "So traditional vows, huh?"

"Maybe," Santana replies shyly. "Unless you don't want to. I just kind of always envisioned that."

"I would love it."

"Cool," Santana rubs her hands up Brittany's back to her neck, pulling her down for a kiss.

After another round in the shower and a hasty van ride back to the club, Santana is in the green room warming up her vocal chords. Brittany sits on the couch at the center of the room with the video camera while Santana paces around the room singing scales.

Liz pops her head into the room. "Two minutes. The place is starting to fill up."

"Do I have to pee?" Santana thinks for a moment. "I should pee."

"TMI Lopez, hurry it up."

Santana rushes out to the hallway. Brittany shuts off the video camera. "Oh, Liz. I've got a question. Where will we be in like three days from now?"

"Let's see, tomorrow we're driving to Portland…spending the night there…show the following night….then driving up to Seattle. We'll be there until Thursday morning."

"Do you have the hotel address?"

"Yea," Liz pulls out her phone and scrolls through it. "I'll text it to you."

"Thanks, Liz."

"Why do you need it?"

"Well, I-"

Santana comes back into the room with a look of fright. "There's a lot of people here."

"Fantastic!" Liz shouts. "They're going to love you."

Brittany walks up to Santana and throws her arms around her. "They will," she whispers in her ear.

"Thank you, Britt," Santana turns to grab her guitar, and they all head out to the stage.

Brittany stands to the side in front of the stage with the video camera in hand, as Santana plugs the cable into her acoustic guitar. The crowd mills about the room with drinks, having lively conversation with each other. Santana checks that the mic is on and sits on the stool.

"Good evening," she fiddles with her guitar strap and waits to see if anyone in the crowd responds. A few turn their heads. "My name is Santana Lopez. This is my first time here in San Francisco, and I hope you like some of these songs that I wrote. This first one is called 'Passenger'."

It only takes until the second verse for nearly the entire room to have their eyes focused on the stage. Brittany beams with pride as she captures the moment on film. The talking ceases and small circles of friends turn their attention to the stranger on stage. As the song ends, Santana breathes a deep sigh of relief and looks to her fiancée. As the crowd claps and a few 'woos!' are heard, Brittany blows her a kiss. The ring on her finger sparkles in the stage lighting, and Santana's heart flutters at the sight.


End file.
